Austin International School
February 26, 2014
 

We wish everyone a safe and fun Spring Break coming up! Thanks for a great start to this 2nd semester at school. Please note below that we have scheduled make up classes from winter weather closures during the April Break (April 21-23) to ensure the full academic experience for your child. 

Please also note the request for grandparent mailing information so that we may send your parents an invitation to next month's Grandparents' Day. 

Re-enrollment priority for returning families ends Friday. We wish to welcome your family back for another great year. You can help us plan better by submitting timely contracts.

Have a wonderful break!
Dates to Know

Did you know our full school calendar is available online? 

 

Tonight

February 26 | 6:30 p.m.

AIS Board of Directors Monthly Meeting

Everyone is welcome to attend the open session of the monthly meeting.

 

February 28

Priority Re-enrollment Ends

Parents, we strongly encourage you to submit your re-enrollment contracts/deposit by this Friday, before enrollment opens to the wider public. Please be reminded that for younger siblings who are not yet at AIS, you need to submit an application for that child. 

 

March 1

Enrollment Opens to All

Priority re-enrollment for returning families ends February 28. We open enrollment to new families on March 1.

 

March 3 -14

Spring Break

Please be reminded that there is no school during the two week spring break. Optional camp is held the first week of the break only. Les Explorers on Wheels Spring Break Camp is full - thank you to all who signed up!

 

March 19 

Class pictures

Group photos of class will be taken in the morning. Please see message below from PTO regarding volunteer needs.

 

March 20 | 6:30 p.m.

State of the School presentation

All are welcome to join us for a presentation by school leadership, including the Board of Directors, to share important information about the school, it's current state of affairs and its future plans. Childcare will be available to those who sign up in advance.

 

March 28

Grandparents' Day | 10:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.

Save the date for this year's Grandparents' Day. We are looking forward to welcoming our students' grandparents for a look inside their life at school. Join us for classroom visits and lunch at school. Invitations will be sent next week. 

 

April 21, 22, 23

Make up Days for Winter Closures

We are holding classes during the scheduled April Break to make up for school closures from inclement weather. Regular classes will be in session Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 

 

April 24 and 25
Childcare during (shortened) April Break
During the two days of April Break, we will be offering childcare for Thursday and Friday. Simply inform Laurence Raud by email that you would like to register your child and for how many days, and leave payment with the receptionist. The cost is $65 per day. Hours are 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Early drop off is available at no charge, and late pick-up is available for $13 per day. 
Announcements

 

Grandparents Addresses Needed for Grandparents' Day

Parents, we look forward to welcoming your parents to our next event, just for grandparents, on March 28! We can't invite them if we can't reach them, so please help us out by emailing your parents's names and mailing addresses this week to Suzanne Krause so she may send them an invitation. Even if you know they cannot make it, we would love to invite them. Thank you!

 

Les Explorers on Wheels Spring Break Camp 

March 3 to March 7

Camp is full

A big thank you to the parents who registered children for our Spring Break Camp!

They can leave bikes, scooters, helmet, and gloves on Monday and pick it back up when camp is finished. 
 
Activities
Any questions regarding dates or make-up classes for After School Activities? Please refer to our online calendar, easy to check, and regularly updated.
 
Les Explorers Summer Camp 
Registration is open!
We are so excited to share with you this year's program. This year's camp is essentially 3 under 1 roof, and brings back all the elements you love for another great year. 

For children 3 to 6, we have Mini Mashup, allowing kids to explore the culture, games, history and people of the French- and Spanish- speaking world through hands-on activities. For 7 to 12 year-olds, we have The Global Kitchen, Creative Geniuses: Bilingual Arts and Science, and Languages of the Stage. We also have sibling discounts. Full details and registration forms available online! Contact Laurence Raud 
with inquiries.
 
Take a Break and Enjoy Some New Videos from Around the School

 

5th Grade Performs
5th Grade Performs "MLK: A Civil Rights Odyssey"
Tanzanian Hunting Dance with 4th/5th graders
Tanzanian Hunting Dance with 4th/5th graders
 
 
AIS Hosts Austin Public Library/Badgerdog Children's Writing Camp
This summer, the Badgerdog children's writing camp, a project of the Austin Public Library Friends Foundation, will be on the AIS campus. We're happy to be supporting community projects by sharing our building so they can provide these great camp! Fliers are available at the front desk.
 
Badgerdog's Creative Writing Summer Camp
July 21 - August 8, 9am to noon
Austin's most talented writers lead three-week writing workshops for rising 3rd-12thgraders. These fun and creative workshops inspire and instruct young people in the crafts of poetry, fiction and nonfiction. All campers are published in a professional-quality anthology. Camp concludes with a reading and book-release party at the Austin Teen Book Festival. More info on their website.

 
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 and Pastry Sale
The PTO will be back this Friday after school with the bread and pastry for sale.  As usual we will have baguettes, pains au chocolat and croissants for $3.00 each. Last chance to get a delicious treat before Spring Break!
 
A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has volunteered to pick up for our bakery sales on Fridays!  We have all but the last few weeks of school covered now!  Please sign up here with Sign Up Genius if you are able to help out. When you sign up through the website, it will send you an automatic reminder a few days before your scheduled pick up, so don't worry about forgetting before May. Thanks!
 
Volunteers Needed for Picture Day
Class pictures are scheduled for Wednesday, March 19 from 8:30 - 10:30.  We will need parent volunteers to assist that morning with gathering the students and teachers from their classes as well as sit with students in the classroom while the teachers are taking their class photos. We will need 6 parent volunteers. Please contact Linda Connor at lconnor30@yahoo.com if you can assist.
 
Box Tops Update
The AIS community has collected more than 3600 Box Tops so far, about halfway to this year's goal of 7500! Because of your efforts, the school received a check for $429 in December, which was used for new software to modernize the school library's catalog system! We are on track for more than $345 in the spring payment cycle, which will account for all Box Tops earned through the end of this week and be paid at the beginning of May.  
 
Please keep up the great work! Bring your Box Tops and Bonus Box Tops certificates to school on a regular basis, mark the bag or envelope with your class name, and place them in the YELLOW Box Tops folder among the PTO mail folders near reception. The class competition continues through May 1, and the winners will enjoy a smoothie party. Keep up with how your class is doing on the school bulletin board. Thanks for everyone's support and participation so far!