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BAIS BUZZ
Issue 32: May 06, 2022
BAIS BOARD NEWS
From Fady Ghanim, Board Chair
Board Thanks Guests to Monthly Meeting
All parents and teachers are welcome to attend monthly meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 6th at 6:30 pm.
New Policy Section 9: Students
During the 30 years between the start of the school in 1984 and the 2013-14 school year, the BAIS Policy Manual had become overly administrative. In 2014 the Policy Manual was completely stripped to the minimum by an external consultant and it is gradually being redeveloped and revised to ensure it contains necessary policies. This work is undertaken by Board members on the Governance & Policy Committee and all changes are approved by the full Board.
At last week's Board meeting, new policies and amendments were approved for Section 9: Students. The Board wishes to share these policies for your awareness since they concern your children. Please click the link below to review them.
Looking Forward to Seeing Everyone May 26th at the AGM
AGENDA
6:30-6:55 BAIS ASSOCIATION SOCIAL: Beverages and finger food provided
6:55 ALL SEATED
7:00 MEETING CALLED TO ORDER
7:00 WELCOME & QUORUM CONFIRMED (25% of Association must be present - please attend!)
APPROVE MINUTES of 2021 AGM
REPORTS
- Board Chairperson's Report: Board's annual goals and work in 2021-22
- Director's Report: school goals and progress in 2021-22
- Special Group Reports:
- ----MSA Internal Coordinators' Report on Self Study
- ----Student Council Report
- ----PTO Report
- Financial Status Reports - by Carla Cerami, Treasurer & Payce Consulting
- ----Past: 2020-21 External Audit Results
- ----Present: 2021-22 Current Budget Report
- ----Future: 2022-23 Draft Budget
- ----Points of note
- Questions from the Association
INTRODUCTION OF CANDIDATES - by Rebekah Moore, Election Committee Chair
ELECTION of 2022-23 BOARD MEMBERS - by Election Committee
ADJOURNMENT - by Board Chair
Nominate a Board Candidate!
Interested parents can email Fady Ghanim, BAIS Board Chair LINK, to ask any questions about the responsibilities carried by board members.
UPDATES from the DIRECTOR
Farewell to Ms Elin
PK parents were informed last week of some sad and some comforting news. Ms. Elin Jacobson has to return to Sweden on May 16th due to the terminal illness of a family member. Ms. Elin will remain in Sweden for the remainder of the academic year.
We are very fortunate that Hala Dbouk (mother of Ali and Abbas in grade 1) is a trained teacher and is already working part-time at school as a Floating Assistant. Ms Hala will be stepping in to teach the PK children for the remainder of the year with the steadfast support of Ms. Awa, our highly experienced PK Teaching Assistant.
Our deepest thanks go to Ms. Elin for more than being an excellent PK teacher; we thank her for her service on the BAIS Emergency Team throughout the COVID19 Pandemic, for her role as ASA coordinator during the past two years, and for her leadership of the MSA Health & Safety Committee.
Ms. Elin's final teaching day will be Friday, May 13th. I know the entire BAIS Community will join me in wishing Ms. Elin and her daughter, Babbi, strength and comfort.
First Ever BAIS AP Exam!
Congratulations to Rama Ceesay, Grade 11, for her academic dedication this year in taking two AP courses (AP United States History and AP Biology). Even more impressive is that Rama completed the course study independently via an online course! Rama's AP Exam scores will be issued in July and we hope she gets a 5 out of 5 on both exams-- the highest AP score -- on the exams. No matter the score, we are very proud of her pursuit of rigorous learning.
Students and faculty PK- G12 lined up to give Rama high fives and wish her well as she started the exam period. We hope other students will be inspired by this small gesture to push themselves academically and join AP classes in future. BAIS teachers will offer some AP courses on campus in 2022-23, hopefully including: AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Language and Composition and AP Calculus.
Tell your friends with high flying high school students that they should consider BAIS High School AP courses!
BAIS Parent Portal
The Policy Manual and other School information documents are made accessible to parents via the Parent Portal of the BAIS Website. I will be updating the site with the revised Policy Manual tomorrow, and parents are encouraged to log on Monday to see the documents held there.
I will send log in details Monday via WhatsApp. Until then, have a wonderful weekend!
-Ms. Myna
STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS
Talent Show Auditions
Auditions for the talent show are scheduled for
Thursday, May 12th during Lunch
for both ES & MS/HS
Students do not need to have their acts completely ready by then, but should be prepared to share what they plan to perform. All students will be able to participate in the Talent Show, but the auditions will help StuCo organize the show and be a chance for performers to start practicing in front of an audience.
StuCo Lunch Success -- Thanks to BAIS Families
The Student Council organized and set up beautiful tables for the Eid Lunch on Friday. All parents, students and staff sat to break bread together. With red tablecloths and bouquets of real and fake flowers provided by StuCo Leader William Hand, the setting was fancy and festive.
The Student Council wishes to thank all the families who generously contributed food to the event for making it happen.
CALENDAR of EVENTS
Parents should plan to attend underlined events.
MAY 2022
May 9-13
- Tuesday 10 -- MS/HS Guest Speaker, Ebrima Cham, Agriculture and Environment Minister of the University of The Gambia Students' Union, 10:05 am
- Tuesday 10 -- MS/HS Study Group and Student Council 3:15 pm
- Wednesday 11 -- AP Biology Exam 11:30 am to 4 pm
- Friday 13 -- Celebration of Learning 11:35 am
- Saturday 14 -- Wright Academy S3 - Session 3
May 16-20
- Tuesday 17 -- MS/HS Study Group and Student Council MTG
- Wednesday 18 -- BAIS Board Candidate NOMINATIONS FORMS DUE
- Friday 20 -- Celebration of Learning 11:35 am
- Friday 20 -- BAIS Board CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED
- Saturday 21 -- Wright Academy S3 - Session 4
May 23-27: MS/HS MAP TESTING & Elementary Writing Diagnostics
- Tuesday 24 -- MS/HS Study Group and Student Council MTG
- Thursday 26 -- BAIS AGM (Annual General Meeting) & Board Elections 7:00 pm -- All parents & teachers should be in attendance.
- Friday 27 -- BAIS BOOK MONTH BEACH TRIP for PK-G8 + 4 HS READERS (Coco Ocean here we come!) 8:00 am to 12:15 pm -- No Celebration of Learning
- Saturday 28 -- Wright Academy S3 - Session 5
May 30-June 3: Elementary MAP TESTING & MS Writing Diagnostics
- Tuesday 31 -- MS/HS Study Group and Student Council MTG
- Wednesday 1 -- MSA Half Day: DISMISSAL at 12 Noon
- Friday 3 -- Homeroom Portfolio work / No Celebration of Learning
- Friday 3 -- BAIS TALENT SHOW & MOVIE NIGHT -- 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM -- Elementary students must have at least 1 parent in attendance.
- Saturday 4 -- Wright Academy S3 - Session 6
JUNE 2022
June 6-10
- Monday 6 -- BAIS Monthly Board Meeting 6:30 pm
- Tuesday 7 -- MS/HS Study Group and Student Council MTG
- Friday 10 -- SERVICE LEARNING SPECTACULAR 10:30 am to 12:15 pm
- Saturday 11 -- Wright Academy S3 - Session 7
June 13-17: HS Semester 2 EXAMS!
- Monday 13 -- Final T3 ASAs
- Tuesday 14 -- MS/HS Study Group and Student Council MTG
- Wednesday 15 -- PK-G8 PORTFOLIO CONFERENCES -- All parents PK-G8 should attend - no classes for PK-G8. HS students will continue Semester 2 Exams
- Friday 17 -- END OF YEAR CEREMONY & MS/HS GRADUATION! Seating at 10:40 am -- All parents should attend.
- Saturday 18 -- Wright Academy S3 - Final Session (#8)
June 20-22
- Monday 20 -- Moving Up Day (PK2 to KG; G5 to MS; G8 to HS) and Field Day 9:45 am (to be confirmed)
- Tuesday 21 -- Yearbook & Checkout Day
- Wednesday 22 -- Final Day of Classes -- DISMISSAL at 12 noon
- Thursday 23 -- Final Teacher Work Day
June 27-30 -- BAIS Office Open
Friday, July 1 -- BAIS Office Closes for Summer
STOP MOTION ANIMATION ASA SNAPSHOTS
PK MEASUREMENT
PK students started a new math unit called Comparison of Length, Weight, Capacity, and Numbers to 5. They talked about weight and used the words heavy/heavier than, light/lighter than and the same as. They also practiced using a balance scale to find out what objects that are heavier than and lighter than. So much learning from PK to G12!
Banjul American International School
Mission
The Banjul American International School is an accredited international school providing a meaningful, rigorous American curriculum in a global context. In partnership with local and international communities, we empower students to become enthusiastic, creative, lifelong learners who value integrity, cultural diversity, and global responsibility.
Email: Director@BAISGambia.org
Website: www.BAISGambia.org
Location: Banjul American International School, Atlantic Boulevard, Serrekunda, The Gambia
Phone: +220 219 3800
Facebook: facebook.com/AISGambia
Twitter: @BAISGambia
COMMUNITY EVENTS
SUNDAY May 8th (TOMORROW)
ART EXHIBIT at the Butcher's Shop!
The Butcher's Shop is hosting an exhibition of the work of Dutch painter Peter Klashorst from Amsterdam, Holland. This is an excellent opportunity for our students to practice viewing artwork! We do not get many opportunities like this in The Gambia, so we highly recommend that parents take BAIS students over to have a look at the exhibition. Entry is free.
Those wishing to join the Sunday buffet will pay D500.