Newsletter – November 25

Updating last week’s words revolving around security, let me share with you that we continue to be in touch with all the relevant authorities including the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy and their extended network throughout the world.  We continue to be cautious in this regard, choosing to relay information when appropriate.  We are very much aware of decisions by other schools in Moscow to take additional actions beyond our own decisions so far.  Based on the advice being given to us from relevant sources, we are not planning to change our current advice, which is consistent with the multi-national briefings.  While we will be vigilant and prudent in our decision-making, we will not be taking action to cancel activities or field trips in the greater Moscow vicinity.  We are checking all trips outside of Moscow with our advising agencies prior to each departure.  We are echoing the advice of authorities that has been published broadly:

  • take extra caution in public settings and be aware of your surroundings
  • prepare in your homes for emergencies as we all should
  • practice family based home emergency response plans
  • make sure important contact information is updated with the school including any changed mobile numbers and other emergency contact information.

If you need to check on your information, you can call the divisional office and ask at any time.  Our offices prepare monthly reports with all needed contact information to take with us in the case of an emergency evacuation. As detailed in our Emergency Plan, we will then contact you on the care and safety of your child.

We plan to run another test of our SMS emergency system on Monday afternoon, November 30th.  We won’t be doing a feedback loop this time, but if you don’t receive our message on Monday for some reason, please contact us to check.  We have also added MS and HS students to our database, so they will be receiving the message as well.

The School Board recently approved the latest edits to the school emergency plan.  Please review it on our website at http://www.aas.ru/emergency.

Parent Conferences

Tomorrow, we gather for one of those waypoints in the year where we strengthen our partnership in your child’s growth and development.  I hope you will all engage in this opportunity in the different formats through which we present this information.  Each division has worked hard to prepare in order to be both informative and thoughtful about next steps in your child’s learning.  We look forward to seeing all of you on the day.

Many Thanks!!

Another holiday that we are celebrating this week is the US Thanksgiving Day.  On this particular Thanksgiving Day, let me take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks for all the wonderful contributing members of our AAS family.  Whether student, parent, faculty, staff, or administrator, you are all part of a marvelous tapestry of community that regularly wraps its arms around us all in joy and enthusiasm.  Our students feel the love and acceptance of an environment where we all create and contribute, each in our own way.  Thank you for being an integral part of this marvelous place we call school!!