Weekly Update from the Secondary School

Dear parents, 
We have a very busy time ahead of us! In the next two weeks, we have Student/Teacher/Parent Conferences (more information on this later in this section), Zambia Day (where we learn about and celebrate our wonderful host country), end of Quarter 1, AND a well deserved Semester 1 break. 

Times like these often act like a funnel, meaning that they tend to concentrate and intensify things. Deadlines get tighter, and the stakes of every decision seem to get higher as we get closer to the end of the Quarter. 

With this in mind, I want to remind everyone that during these times of intense stress, it is vitally important that we remember to be kind and empathetic with others, and with ourselves. Remember that everyone is tired of COVID, everyone is feeling pressure from work/school, and everyone you meet has a vast and hidden world of experiences that you are not privy to, but which affect their behaviors and perceptions of the world.  Couple this with the fact that not everyone has developed the skills/ emotional intelligence to properly process periods of acute stress, and that makes being kind and assuming positive intent more important. 

So, as we go into this first “final stretch” please take a moment and consider how you would like to be treated when you are under intense stress, and take the time to think of ways that you can demonstrate kindness to someone else as they experience the same.  

A few logistical items:

1. Please be aware, as facilities open up, to follow the AISL COVID guidelines. Please pay particular attention to the rules requiring masks and distancing. These are campus requirements that apply on campus at all times, not simply when school is in session. 
2. Please note that ALL Secondary are released at 2:30. 
3. We have still noticed that some kids are wearing masks that are VERY loose (slipping off the face loose). Please help us keep our campus safe and ensure that kids come to school wearing masks that fit properly. I mentioned this in the assembly, but if you could reinforce the importance of masks at home, that would be very helpful. 

Thanks to you all. Have a great  weekend!
Dr. Rick Odum

​Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences, 13-14 October

WHAT are Student-Parent-Teacher Conferences?
Student-Parent-Teacher conferences are part of our regular reporting cycle and occur twice a year near the quarter reports. These are important times where students & parents are invited to visit with each teacher (virtual or in person) to discuss their students' ATLs and learning progress. These conferences are approximately 5 minutes in length and are thus not appropriate for in-depth conversations and should that be required, an outside appointment should be created. 

WHEN are conferences: Here is the schedule for October 13 & 14

WHY are we doing the conferences? Student Preparation:
In students’ advisory classes, they will be working on a reflection/goal setting sheet where students will review, reflect and self-evaluate their ATLs & Learner Profile prior to the conferences. This process will help them identify their strengths and set goals for growth for the next quarter. 

Roles during the Conferences:

• Students will be taking the lead as much as possible using their reflections
• Students gain skills and practice in communicating about their strengths and growth as a learner (conferencing)
• Students empowered to own their ATLs and take responsibility for their learning (metacognition)
• Parents and teachers will add to their thinking and to help them find patterns that may help with setting future goals for the second quarter

HOW to sign up: Logistics

• Conferences are 5 minutes in length: many of our teachers teach upwards of 80 students - with 5 minute conversations this calculates to 6 ½ hours of conversations over 2 days. Thus,  it is important to respect their time and the time of other students/parents wishing to meet with them.
• Conferences will be hybrid in that we will have one session each day for Virtual (via Google Meets) and one each day in-person session.
• If you have more than one student in Secondary, you must sign up for different slots or have one parent with one child and a different parent with the second child. 
• For on campus sessions only one parent may attend with their student due to COVID restrictions (If you have two students one parent could attend for each child)
• Please watch this introductory video about conferences (HERE - 5 minutes in length)
• Quick video to help with sign up (HERE - 3 minutes in length)

        LINK TO CONFERENCE SIGN UP (instructions at top of sheet)

LOCKERS
We will be assigning lockers to grades 6 and 7, and we need your help in making this happen. 
If you have a student in either of these grades, you will need to purchase a combination lock, please no keyed locks. Additionally students will need to complete a form indicating their assigned locker and sharing the locker combination with the Secondary office. 
This is to allow for instances where students forget their combinator, or if a locker needs to be opened for an emergency. 
If you have a lock already attached to a locker, it needs to be removed. We will need to get all the lockers open and cleaned, so we’ll be cutting any remaining locks off on this coming Monday. 
 
Parent Information Sessions:
We host three to six Parent Information Sessions each month to support our parents in understanding what their children are learning and how to support them at home.

NHS Raffle
The National Honor Society is excited to announce that as part of our community service project this year, we are holding a RAFFLE starting on the 4 October with the hopes of raising money to purchase carbon offsets from BioCarbon Partners, an organization based in Zambia that combats climate change through generating and selling carbon credits, protecting forests, prioritizing community engagement, and promoting wildlife conservation. Up to date, the organization has offset nearly 7 million tonnes of carbon and currently protects over 1 million hectares of forest in the Lower Zambezi and Luangwa regions. 

Each carbon credit costs $10 and equates to 1 tonne of carbon (an emission equivalent to driving 6000km with a diesel car). With your help we can offset dozens, even hundreds of tonnes of carbon, all while supporting local communities and ecological conservation. For more information about BioCarbon Partners, visit their website here. 

Raffle tickets cost 20 kwacha each, and one can purchase as many as they would like. 
Tickets will be sold at the Primary and Secondary car parks after school from 2:30pm-2:45pm on Monday to Thursday. However, students and faculty may buy tickets from NHS members at any time during the school day. We welcome and encourage participation from students, parents, faculty, and anyone interested in contributing to the fight against deforestation and climate change.

The amazing array of PRIZES include:

1. A gift basket filled with sweet and savory American snacks & treats from the American Embassy Commissary
2. A coffee & tea gift basket, including a K500 gift voucher @ The Zambean Coffee Co. 
3. A nature basket filled with small plants & crafts, with a K400 gift voucher for Crafty Greens Garden Center
4. A decadent self-care pampering package filled with cosmetic products and 2 gift vouchers for a massage and pedicure
5. A unique beautifully handcrafted glass bowl from Whimsical Glass Studios 

Winners will be announced on the 3rd of November!

You can also find more contemporary info on AISL's instagram story highlights over the next couple of weeks.

We thank you for your support!
The National Honor Society