AIS Friday Flash

Friday, October 21, 2022

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MAP Results and MAP Family Workshops

Thank you for your patience as we have worked to finalize all Fall 2022 MAP results. In order to generate results, we must have all eligible students complete their MAP assessments. Though student illnesses have impacted make-up dates, we anticipate being able to finalize results documents next week. We require all families to have at least one parent/guardian attend a MAP Family Workshop before results are mailed out. For families who have not yet attended a MAP Family Workshop, be on the lookout for an email next week for scheduled workshop dates and times. For families who have already attended a MAP Family Workshop, you will receive your child(ren)'s results per usual by email.

Stay Healthy and Stay Safe! Flu Season is Here!

We continue to meet regularly with local health authorities who have reported extremely high levels of influenza A and B in the Austin community. In Travis County, the flu positivity rate for last week was 32.61% positive; you can check the weekly positivity rate on the APH Key Indicators Dashboard under the influenza tab. Please help keep your family and other AIS community members healthy and safe by keeping sick children off campus until fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication for at least 24 hours. APH also encourages people ages 6 months and up to get their flu shot if they have not done so already; this may be done through its Mobile Vaccination Program and Shots for Tots/Big Shots clinics.

Stay Safe from COVID-19

Austin Public Health would like us to inform our school community about the expanded eligibility for the updated (bivalent) COVID-19 booster; they encourage you to get up to date on your COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible. As of last week, children 5 years and older are eligible to receive an updated bivalent booster that protects against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5. The Pfizer bivalent booster is available for children ages 5 and up, and the Moderna bivalent booster is available for children ages 6 and up. Visit vaccines.gov or vacunas.gov to find vaccine providers near you.

A Note from our 5e students:

Hello, as part of a middle school service-learning project, our 7th graders are making a recipe book for the Week of Taste here at school. We want to include recipes from all around the world, so, if you have any recipes from your home country, we would love to include them in our book. Thank you for filling out your favorite recipes here. The sharing link has been adjusted, so if you tried previously but couldn't access it, thank you for trying it now.

CM1 Returns from Ft. Davis

Our 4th graders have had a fantastic time visiting west Texas from horseback riding to stargazing. We can't wait to hear all about their amazing adventures. Thank you to Mr. Cédric, Ms. Virginie, Ms. Marta, and Mr. Peter for chaperoning and all the hard work and planning.

Virtual Board of Directors Meeting - Tue., 10/25, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

Our Board of Directors will meet virtually on Tuesday, October 25th beginning at 6:30 pm. Members of our community are encouraged to observe the Open Session of the meeting with an opportunity for public comments at the conclusion of the open portion.

Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-Up–Sat., 10/29 at 10:00am

The PTC Conference Manager will open for sign-ups on Saturday, October 29th at 10:00am and will remain open for sign-ups until Thursday, November 3rd at 10:00 am. Families can access the Conference Manager by visiting https://austinis.schoolsoft.com/ and either logging on (returning families) or creating a new account by clicking the REGISTER NOW button. To ensure that you receive emails from the Conference Manager, we recommend adding "appointments@schoolsoft.com" to your Address Book.

Progress Reports Disseminated - Monday, 10/31

Progress Reports will be sent home on Monday, October 31st via email. Please read the email message sent with the progress report link for an explanation of the progress indicators on the progress reports. These documents are available through the link for 14 days, so don’t forget to save them for your records. If you have any questions about your child's progress report, feel free to reach out to your child's teaching team directly and you will be able to discuss further at the upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Halloween Parade & Classroom Parties-Mon., 10/31 2:15-2:35/2:45 - 3:15pm

Mark your calendars. On Monday, October 31st, we will celebrate Halloween with a school-wide parade followed by classroom parties. The parade will take place from 2:15 - 2:35 pm (outside, if weather permits) followed by the classroom celebrations until 3:15 pm. Room Parents have emailed classroom parents about the classroom celebrations, so please check your inboxes to support party needs.

Family members are invited to campus to watch the parade and attend class parties. Family members in attendance will need to park on the adjacent streets as our campus will close for a clear parade path. Students may be taken home from the classroom parties with teacher approval and with a classroom dismissal sign-out sheet. Students signed up for extended care will be taken to those after-school care spaces following regular dismissal.

Halloween Costumes

PS & MS students should come in two-piece costumes, when possible, or costumes that are able to be pulled down easily for restroom breaks.

PS students may wear Halloween colors to school but should not come to school in costume. PS costumes may be packed to change into their costumes after naptime.

MS - 4è students may wear their costumes to school.

Please be mindful of our costume guidelines and restrictions:

no scary, bloody, or gory costumes
no weapons or anything that resembles weapons
no alcohol, tobacco, or drug-related props or accessories
no suggestive costumes inappropriate for children

Head of School Coffee - Thur., 11/3 8:30 - 9:30 am

Each month, the PTO and school alternate hosting a community coffee on the first Thursday of the month. AIS community members are invited to join Mr. Jacques for a Head of School Coffee on Thursday, November 3rd in front of the school if the weather is nice, or alternatively in the foyer to mingle and visit.

Parent-Teacher Conferences/School Closures-11/3 & 11/4 UPDATED

In-person Parent-Teacher Conferences (PTCs) will take place on Thursday,11/3 from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm and Friday, 11/4 from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm. See above for detailed information about signing up for the meetings with teachers through our conference management system and about limited childcare (available only on Thursday afternoon).

This is a reminder that school closes on Thursday, November 3rd at 11:45 am. Student pickup is between 11:45 am - 12:00 pm. School is closed all day on Friday, November 4th for PTCs so please make appropriate arrangements as necessary. There will be no childcare available on Thursday afternoon or Friday, 11/4. Children who come to school on Friday will need to remain with parents at all times during the PTCs and while on campus. The schedule is as follows:

School is closed at 11:45 on 11/3 (student pick-up from 11:45 am - 12:00 pm)
PTCs on11/3 from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
School is closed on 11/4 all day
PTCs on 11/4 from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
No childcare available on 11/4

From Jacques: Merci, Thank You, Gracias, Ms. April!

In the name of the entire AIS Community, I wish to extend a huge thank you to Ms. April O'Quinn for her tireless years of service to Austin International School. Thank you to all of the students, families, and colleagues who showered her with flowers, cards, gifts, hugs, and words of gratitude. Though Ms. April's last public-facing day is today, she will continue to support our school in the weeks ahead as we begin to transition to a new leadership structure at school. We are immensely appreciative of April's commitment to AIS's vision, mission, and core values, as well as to the strengthening of our community since November 2015. Merci encore, April !

Save the dates

Mark these important upcoming dates on your calendars.