Austin International School
March 19, 2014
 

Welcome back everyone! We hope your Spring Break was fun and fantastic. We've missed you and have tons of information to share. Read on for information on tomorrow's State of the School, next week's big events of Grandparent's Day and Family Science Night, and much more. Have a great week!
Dates to Know

Did you know our full school calendar is available online? 

 

Tomorrow

March 20 | 6:30-8 p.m.

State of the School presentation

All are welcome and encouraged 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. We'll follow with a question and answer session. Please come early for the PTO-sponsored Meet the Board Social in the multipurpose room before the State of School starts (details in PTO section below).

 

Childcare is available; advance sign up is not necessary, just sign in when you drop off. Care will start at 6:25 p.m. on the playground, then children will go to the foyer to either watch a movie or play games. Please pick up your child in the foyer.

 

Amplify Austin Begins

6 p.m. 3/20 to 6 p.m. 3/21

A new initiative in its second year, this is a 24-hour citywide day of giving in support of the many wonderful non-profit organizations in Austin helping to make a difference in the community. AIS is participating for the first time this year, and it is a fantastic opportunity to widely publicize the important work our school is doing. 

 

The funds raised through this campaign will go directly to our financial aid assistance program to help keep AIS affordable to as many students as possible. Get the word out by posting, sharing, tweeting, and emailing your friends, family, alumni and colleagues to raise awareness and even raise a few dollars for the school. 

 

View and share our profile on the Amplify Austin page.

 

You can share the donation page, schedule a donation ahead of time or make a donation starting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, through 6 p.m. on Friday, March 21, easily online. 

 

Amplify Austin is a great way to let people know about our school and invite them to learn more. Even if you don't make a donation on this day, please help inform others of the unique international education and multicultural environment we provide our students and families. 

 

Telling a friend is just as important as giving a dollar, thank you for spreading the word!

 

March 27

8:45 a.m.

Wild Basin Winds Concert 

It's the last of our three-part concert series with the Wild Basin Winds woodwind quintet. Students will enjoy classical and popular songs in the multipurpose room; parents are welcome to listen too.

 

Family Science Night

3:45 to 5 p.m.

Video: Racing Shadows at Science Night

 

It's our first ever family science night in celebration of the fun and amazement of science. Come experience science with your child at intriguing and challenging science stations. Discover properties of light and shadow, air and pressure, electricity; learn about the Kindergarten chicken life cycle project, how an egg floats, weather patterns and much more. Adults will find themselves challenged too! 

 

Projects are geared toward K through 5th grades, although all AIS students are welcome. Students will need their parents present in order to participate in Family Science Night. Please join your child and have fun with science!

 
March 28

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

Invitations have been mailed and the guest list is growing as we prepare to welcome our students' grandparents for our 4th Annual Grandparents' Day. Grandparents will enjoy a coffee social with our school staff before heading on to enjoy a learning journey with their grandchild in the classroom. We'll follow with a tour of the construction developments and lunch in the foyer. We can't wait to see everyone next Friday. Please contact Suzanne Krause with any event questions or to reply to the invitation.

 

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. 

Announcements

 

2014-2015 School Calendar Available

We've finalized the school schedule calendar for next year. It is attached for your planning purposes. Please note that it's not a detailed calendar and we will be adding events to our online calendar when the school year starts.

 

Les Explorers Summer Camp 

Registration is open!
Special Croissant Sign up Special this Friday, March 21, from 3:15 to 4 p.m. 
Time to think about Summer Camp! This summer AIS offers a variety of camps for children ages 7 to 12, and an awesome cultural experience with hands on activities for children ages 3 to 6! On the slate this summer is Mini Mashup, 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. 
 
Laurence will have a table to answer questions about the summer camp this Friday. We're giving a FREE CROISSANT from the delicious Artisan Bistro to parents who register at the table! Time: 3:15 to 4:00 p.m., in front of the reception. 
 
Les Explorers on Wheels was a Blast
We had an awesome time during the Spring Break! A few students came with their training wheels and left without them! Special thank you to the whole team of counselors and assistants who did a wonderful job teaching "everything" about the wheels, considering the weather. Check our bulletin board for more pictures.

  

After School Activities
Some activities are being postponed or canceled due to upcoming events, as follows:
March 20: No Hip-hop
March 27: No Science II, no Hip-hop, no Alumni Club, no Yearbook Club.


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. Register with Laurence Raud by email and let her know 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 3:15 pm. Early drop off begins at 7:30 a.m. and is available at no charge, and late pick-up until 6 p.m. is available for $13 per day. Payment is required at time of registration; we require a minimum of 12 children to hold child care. 
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.
 
Baguettes and Pastries
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.

Meet the Board Social
On Thursday, March 20, the PTO would like to invite you to meet the AIS Board of Directors.  Our casual social will take place from5:30 to 6:30 pm on March 20, just before the State of the School.  Please come and join us for a nibble and a drink and meet and learn more about the people who are so important to the direction of our school.

Neighborhood Park Cleanup with KAB

On April 12, AIS-PTO will be participating in Keep Austin Beautiful's Clean Sweep again. Amelia Despre is organizing this event for us. We'll be picking up trash in Balcones District Park just down the road from the school at the intersection of Amherst and Duval. Clean up will take place from 9 to 11 am with the opportunity to attend the volunteer party hosted by KAB at Fiesta Gardens from11 to 1:30 that day. Please sign up on the Google spreadsheet and let us know your t-shirt size by MONDAY March 24.  (After March 24, you can still participate, but t-shirts will not be available.)