I caught on CNN this morning that today, January 20, is Penguin Awareness Day (not to be confused with World Penguin Day in April). I couldn’t help but smile as I read the article and thinking, as I often do, about the little “penguins” running around school every day. I know that some have chided […]
When last I wrote, we were heading into the final days of 2015 and thinking about the messages we can send our children. I suggested it was time to send messages of encouragement to balance the despair associated with recent media reports about events around the globe. My congratulations to all for your work in […]
Greetings Parents!! We have just one day left before a well-deserved holiday. The beauty of winter vacation the Moscow way is that extra bit of time that we have in January before we need to return. You’re welcome! But, let’s make sure to be back in seats on Monday the 11th to bask in the […]
In past weeks, we have oft reflected on the “tone” of the world. Coming out of recent events, I think we have done well in maintaining a calm and safe environment for students in an often chaotic environment with mixed messages. While I think most students weave through their day relatively unaware of world events, […]
Happy December, Everyone!! I first want to take this opportunity to welcome the last additions to our administrative team in preparation for next year. As informed previously, Noah Bohnen will be moving into our MS Principal role next year and Michelle Alzamora will be moving into the ES Principal spot. We’ve also already announced that […]
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 […]
Happy Wednesday and welcome to the wonderful dusting of white I’m viewing outside my window tonight as I gaze through the collection of colorful socks that currently adorn the glass!! PTO Enhancement Grants were presented at PTO this week, and I couldn’t be prouder of the student-led initiatives that were presented, along with the array of […]
I write to you today saddened and confused. A weekend of thought has not yet brought me to any level of understanding of the depth of the tragedy on Friday. Tears have flowed for our friends that hail from France, in condolence for their loss of family, friends, and countrymen. Our thoughts and prayers are with […]
Weekly update includes this week one additional administrative announcement. I’m happy to report that we have concluded an agreement with Michelle Alzamora to move into the lead chair at the Elementary Division as the new principal. Over the last 5 years, Mrs. Alzamora has held various roles at the school including teacher, Literacy Coordinator, and […]
As I have mentioned in previous articles, it is the time of year when many of our international staff are making decisions about next steps in their lives. We always start with the core leadership team and after a number of years of stability, we find ourselves seeing some natural progression in their careers. International […]
We’re heading off to our first week-long break of the school year, and I’m hopeful that you have plans to enjoy some family time and refresh/relax in preparation for a busy period in November and December as we get ready for the holidays. We are beginning the annual process of assessing our staffing needs for […]
FCD Parent Meeting Thursday, October 15 @ 8:45a Faculty Dining Room This week we welcome representatives from FCD Prevention Works (A Global Non-Profit Substance Abuse Prevention Organization). We’ve hosted them multiple times over the years, and their message and materials constitute a major portion of our substance abuse prevention program that links to curriculum through our health […]
This week, as we quickly approach the end of the first quarter, we are continuing to reflect on our work with kids in Respect Self. Grade 3 in particular was working to brainstorm what it means to “be yourself.” They developed some understanding of this important concept and shared that it is important to remember that […]
As we settle into a new month this week, the first stage of the school year moves into our rearview mirror. We are launching into a critical learning period between now and October Break. With many founding activities of welcome and the development of community spirit now complete, we capitalize on these qualities toward the […]
Published originally in December, Carol Dweck has extended her work to include this reinforcement of her concepts into the notion of “Getting to Yet”. From Sweden TEDx in September, she proposes the concept of a grade for a class being a “Not Yet” rather than a failing grade. The concept of growth mindset has not […]
To all of our special guests, faculty, administrators, parents, friends, and family members – we thank you for your pride and presence as we celebrate this, our 21st commencement exercises. I offer my deepest gratitude to Dr. Sarty for his words today. Above all, we value contributions like this and your participation here affirms the […]
At our most recent parent forum on technology, we discussed, as one of the many topics, the important aspect of sleep and the implications of technology to disrupt healthy sleep patterns. I’m going to attempt to compile here a set of the various resources that can help clarify the research on sleep and sleep habits. In […]
Appropriate at this time of year to share some thoughts about the upcoming Victory Day recognition that has been a tradition at AAS for a number of years. As in the past, we will welcome special guests, local veterans, for this remembrance. This is particularly poignant given that this is the 70th anniversary of the […]
Dear Parents, In my many years working as an educator, I can’t begin to count the number of times I have learned important lessons from the children in my charge. Such was the case yesterday when a staff member shared the story of a student interaction that had just happened in our hallways. Two 3rd […]
We had another wonderful forum for our Parent Partnership theme. We had a wonderful group of parents, great presenters and some good conversation about the topics important to us and our children. We decided that providing both the video and the slide show was the best way to get this content to a larger audience. […]