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The Sophomore Scoop!

March 2024

The SophomoreScoop!March 2024

March Update

Helloooooooo Class of 2026!

It's exciting to think that there are only three more full months of school remaining!!! March has some exciting things in it! Students are starting to think about 2024-2025 Course Selection! Consider your Diploma Programme pathways, electives, and ensuring that you'll have enough credits to graduate in 2026! Family Conferences are March 13th & 14th - this is the perfect time to connect with new-semester teachers, and follow-up from conferences in December! We cannot wait to reconnect with you and welcome you into our school!

Assistant Principal's Message

Hello Dragon Families!

The calendar says February, but it feels a lot like spring to me! The school year is flying by here at AIS and we are already half way through the third quarter. It has been an exciting year of learning so far and there is still so much left to do.

We have family-teacher conferences coming up on March 13th and 14th. Please log on to: www.myconferencetime.com/ais/ to sign up for conferences. Families are welcome to conference in person, or online.

Last week we had our first “Dragon Dads” breakfast. We have launched this initiative to increase the engagement with male role models in our community and we look forward to growing this program. Our first meeting was full of meaningful dialogue between the “dads” and a lot of interesting ideas and great energy. We will be holding another meeting in March and look forward to growing the group. If you would like more information please contact me, Assistant Principal Tom Craig: tcraig@crec.org or Dean Ben Simon: bsimon@crec.org

Lastly we want to thank families for supporting us with our new cell phone initiative. Many of our students are far too easily distracted by their devices when they should be learning and focusing. In an effort to get students engaged in their learning we are asking all students to keep their cell phones away during class time and we appreciate families having conversations with their students about appropriate use of cell phones in school.

Thank you all for your support and for entrusting us with your children. As one Dragon Dad said during our breakfast: “Your children are our children, and our children are your children” and that underscores the importance of having the support of our entire community in the educating of our kids.

If you would like to get involved or would like more information please contact Assistant Principal Tom Craig at tcraig@crec.org

FREE OFF-SITE BIOLOGY LAB FOR SOPHOMORES!

To complete the online permission slip form, please login to your CREC PowerSchool Parent Portal account at https://crec.powerschool.com/public/ or by opening the PowerSchool app on your phone.

If logging into the Parent Portal, select the Forms icon and then click on the form to open. If using the PowerSchool App on your phone, go to the More menu, then Forms, and click on the form to open.

For more information about the PowerSchool Parent Portal, go to https://www.crecschools.org/for_families/family_resources/techtools

If you need to set up your PowerSchool Parent Portal account for the first time, please contact the school office to obtain an Access ID and Password to link your account to your student.

It's Spring Conference Time @ AIS!

Hello 10th Families!

Whether you're meeting teachers for the new semester, or reconnecting with full year course teachers, please join us for Family Conferences March 13th & 14th. Click the link below to go to MyConferenceTime to register for a timeslot with your student's educators!

Sophomore Honors!

Congratulations to our "Principled" Sophomores!

Jahmarie Nelson

In health class, Jahmarie was the "judge" between a he-said and she-said conversation.

Edward Leonard

Eddie shows respect for others and a sense of pride and responsibility in his work. He has a heart that is honest and he isn't afraid to speak out about things others may be scared to say.

Chelsie Robinson

Chelsie took responsibility for her actions in the tech crew of “Wizard of Oz”, and not only acknowledged potential consequences, but turned her entire work ethic around to become one of the most valuable stage crew members for the show.

Augustine Okonkwo

Augustine is unfailingly honest, fair, and kind. He takes responsibility for his own actions while consistently demonstrating respect for himself and others.

Lilah Newman

Lilah is trustworthy and honest. She acts with integrity; we can rely on her to always be truthful and fair

Nate Parks

Nate is extremely kind, honest, and respectful to everyone he encounters. He takes responsibility for his own work and always demonstrates exceptional integrity

Congratulations to our UCONN PreCollege Summer Program Scholarship Awardees!

Will your Sophomore be returning to AIS next year?

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Voting available from
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Next Up: The Diploma Programme!

In the next few weeks, students will be selecting courses for next year. All students at AIS enroll in IB Diploma Programme (DP) Courses. Please see this overview for information that will help students choose their DP Pathway and courses. For any questions related to DP, please contact Mrs. Stacey Pagliaro (spagliaro@crec.org).

IB EXPLAINED | everything you NEED TO KNOW about IB

Sophomore Course Updates

Geometry - Right now, students are learning Pythagorean Theorem, Distance Formula, Midpoint Formula, and Segment Addition. We have been doing some review on Khan Academy and students have had two graded days of work on Khan so far. After we have learned, practiced and had formatives on these topics, we will be gearing up for a summative in Criterion A and C. Then we will be working on our Angles unit.

Biology - Students are learning about carbon cycles through a living ecosystem. They are developing an understanding about how cellular respiration and photosynthesis are important processes in absorbing and releasing carbon, and how carbon dioxide is being released at a higher rate than usual which is a cause of climate change.

Black/Latino Studies - Students are finishing a unit titled “Blood and Beauty,” looking into the treatment of Indigenous communities by Spanish explorers, and the history of anti-Latino violence over time. The summative for this unit will be an infographic that will be due the week of March 4th. We will then move into a unit titled “Sweat” which will investigate the development of the Puerto Rican and Latino social and economic structures.

Power of Voice - Students are currently in the midst of a career research unit. They will need to organize the information they find about their selected career’s duties, education/training requirements, required skills, salary, and the projected employment outlook for the future.

Strategic Reading and Mathematics: Students have started practicing individual literacy or mathematics skills they chose during their winter reflection and conferences. They also have small group or individual mini-lessons where they focus on accuracy and get a chance to ask clarifying questions as they review skills they can use in their other classes or beyond.

Music -- Your “ethnomusicologist” has so far investigated the world through the traditional music and cultures of Asia (China/Japan/India/Middle East) and Africa (North/East/South/West). We are in our studies of “The Americas” now (South/Latin/Caribbean/North) and will finish our exploration in Europe. By the end of the quarter, your student will have selected a Focus Country to create their own lesson to teach to the class.

Band - Musicians are in full swing preparing for our Essentials Showcase on March 14th from 1-3pm! Please stop by the band room during conferences to enjoy our musicians who will play for you! Come see our renovated band room, the Dragon Mural, and experience the joy and sound of the Dragon Thunder Symphonic Band as we prepare for our SixFlags Competition on May 3rd and our concert on May 21st!

Sophomore Staff Emails

If you'd like to connect with any sophomore staff, here is our Sophomore Team:

Elizabeth Campbell
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