Austin International School
December 11, 2013


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.
 
Check out our school blog, Curriculum Connection, for pictures, posts and stories!
Dates to Know

Did you know our full school calendar is available online? 

 

Tonight, December 11 | 6:30 p.m.

AIS Board of Directors Meeting

Everyone is welcome to attend and observe the beginning, open session of the monthly AIS Board of Directors meeting. 

 

Thursday, December 12 | 3:15 -4 p.m.

After School Activities Registration Table

Laurence will have a registration and information table at the front of the school during pick up time. Stop by to learn about our wide array of activities which complement your child's trilingual academics education. Take a look at our descriptions online. 

 

December 23, 2013, through January 3, 2014

Winter Break

School will be closed for the winter break. We hope you will enjoy a safe and happy time with family and friends.

 

February 8, 2014 | 6 - 10 p.m.

Annual Spring Gala - Invitations have been mailed!

Who will you bring? Please save the date for our Third Annual Spring Gala. This year's fun, festive event will again be held at the beautiful Headliner's Club downtown. We will have student art, a live and silent auction, a grand raffle prize, live music and more! Please plan to attend this wonderful yearly event in the company of fellow AIS parents, friends and supporters. Your invitation is in the mail! 

 

Love AIS? Help spread the word about your school by reviewing our listing on Great Schools and on Yelp, by posting to our Facebook page and our website's blog. Thank you!
Announcements
Go team!
We raised almost $13k!
Tracey and Kyle bring the fun to CE1b's smoothie party!
Together, our students and their friends and families raised close to $13,000 during the annual Fun(d) Run! We are so proud of our students for their efforts and enthusiasm, and very thankful to our community for supporting them. We will communicate the target of these funds soon. 
 
CE1b enjoyed delicious fruit smoothies last Friday for being the lucky winners of the raffle drawing we held to help say thanks for all the students' efforts.
 
 
 
 
 
End of Year Paperwork
As December 31 approaches and we head into a new year, some of you may have already started collecting paperwork for your tax returns. Please contact Kyle Carroll if you need a copy of any letters of acknowledgment for your donations to the school, a compiled list of your donations for the 2013 calendar year, or any other tax-deductible contribution information. Kyle can also provide letters of acknowledgement for in-kind donations if needed. Please contact her with any questions. 
 
Extracurriculars 
It's the final week of after school activities this week, except for yoga (which runs until 12/20). Make-up classes this week are scheduled on Friday 12/13: 
Science III (3:30-4:30 PM)
Lego III (4:35-5:35 PM)
Piano (4:35-5:35 PM) for the 3-5 years old
 
Spring after school activities will start on first week of school: January 6, as per the schedule posted on our website and on bulletin board in corridor.

 

Missing Papers  due this Friday, December 13

Some student files are missing Handbook Receipts. If you don't have a copy, simply email Hilary Routon and she will get one to you. Thank you.

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.

 

Bread Sale Success  

The PTO's bread and pastry sale of items from the Artisan Bistro has been a huge success and last week all our profits were dedicated to the Epilepsy Foundation's Camp Brainstorm. Thanks to everyone who supported this delicious fundraiser. This a week we will be out in front on the school on Friday. The PTO will be selling the baguettes, croissants and pains au chocolate for $3 each. Thanks for your support! 

 
December Meeting Cancelled 
Because of the special meeting last week and the busy holiday season, the regularly scheduled PTO meeting on December 11 is canceled.  The next PTO meeting will be held on January 8 at 5.30 pm.  
 
Recap of Last Meeting
If you weren't able to attend the special meeting last Wednesday, "Preventing Bullying in School", it went really well.  There was a great discussion and it was well attended. The minutes of that meeting will be up on the website for your review in the next couple of weeks, if you're interested in the specifics.  

 

AIS Holiday Community Outreach
Holiday Food Drive benefiting the Capitol Area Food Bank of Central Texas
Austin International School and our parent organization strive to be an impactful part of our central Texas community. Please help support the food drive in any way you can!
You may drop off a few items or decide to buy a bag of groceries on your next trip to the market to help feed the families and children of central Texas.
  • Food Drive will run from Wed Dec 4th 2013 through Wed Dec 18 2013
  • Food Bank boxes are at the entry of the school for our AIS community to drop off canned and boxed food items.
  • Goal is to raise between 3-4 full boxes of food for donation
  • Types of food to drop: Canned or boxed (no glass containers) within the expiration date on package. (more detail below)

Additional Detail:

AIS PTO is running a HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE to raise non-perishable food for needy families in Austin and Central Texas. The Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, a 501c(3) non-profit, is the largest hunger-relief charity in Central Texas providing food and grocery products, nutrition education and social services outreach to 300,000 clients each year through a network of 300 Partner Agencies.

 

CAFB runs multiple  programs to feed those in need including providing food to the area "Kids Cafes". Kids Cafes are safe, nurturing places where neighborhood children in need of a nutritious meal can go after school and receive a hot dinner, as well as help with homework from caring individuals. More information online.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about food types to donate

What foods should I collect?
  • healthy non-perishable food
  • items with intact, un-opened, consumer or commercial packaging
  • items with non-breakable packaging (no glass please)
  • food within the expiration date on the packaging
What are the most-requested items?
  • canned meats like tuna, stew and chili (pop-tops preferred)
  • canned vegetables
  • pasta & pasta sauce
  • beans
  • healthy cereals
  • peanut butter  
Around Town
Do a little something different this week and broaden your international perspective!

December 12
8 p.m. Slavic Shake Party at Russian House 
Come Participate in dance traditions of Balkan countries. A high-energy combination of a concert and dance featuring live performance by Wino Vino and Korobushka.The event offers a perfect opportunity to learn traditional Eastern European dances with a FREE dance lesson!   
7 p.m. Austin Latino Theater Alliance Presents "La Pastorela: A Sheperdela's Storia"Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center 
The Austin Latino Theater Alliance presents "La Pastorela: A Sheperdela's Storia,"an interactive bilingual comedy for the whole family, at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, from December 12-22, 2013. "La Pastorela" is a uniquely Austin holiday tradition that has been entertaining audiences for 16 years. It is a traditional Yuletide play performed in Native American/Latino Communities since the late 16th century when Spanish missionary priests first introduced the act to Native Aztec Indians.