Friday, December 2, 2016

Week of December 4, 2016

Upcoming at AWS...

Monday, December 5
A DAY
8:00am Morning Meeting 
10:00am All Schools Chapel
10:00am 6th Grade & 1st Grade Collaboration for Design Class
10:40am Snack @ the MS Office
3:15pm MS JV1 Soccer @ North Lake Tapps
3:15pm MS Varsity Soccer @ Seattle Christian
3:30pm MS JV Basketball @ Heritage Christian
4:300pm MS Varsity Basketball @ Heritage Christian
3:30pm Topic Group Meetings

Tuesday, December 6
B DAY
10:00am Snack @ the MS Office
10:10am Tutorial Time
10:20am Flex
2:15pm Collaboration
2:45pm Grade 6 Team Meeting in the Design Lab
3:15pm Grade 7 Team Meeting in the Design Lab

Wednesday, December 7
C DAY
10:00am Snack @ the MS Office
10:10am Tutorial Time
10:20am MS Chapel: MS Orchestra Performance & 7th Grade Recognition
11:00am Holiday Faculty Celebration 
2:15pm MS MYP Meeting in the Design Lab

Thursday, December 8
E DAY
10:00am Snack @ the MS Office
10:10am Tutorial Time
10:20am MS Share in the Lounge
2:15pm Collaboration
2:45pm MYP Collaboration
3:30 MYP Share
3:30pm MS Varsity Soccer v. Cascade Christian

Friday, December 9
F DAY 
10:00am Snack @ the MS Office
10:10am Clubs; 6th G Strings students join Orchestra for rehearsal

Saturday, December 3 & Sunday, December 4
Private Music Lessons Recitals

Action Items... 

MYP

We have scheduled our Authorization Visit for Thursday & Friday, April 13 & 14, 2017. As we approach April, we will be systematically reviewing policies and other materials that were part of the MYP Application to ensure familiarity. We will also be practicing for the conversations that we will have with the visiting team. This week we reviewed the Assessment Policy and developed "elevator pitches" in response to a few questions: 
What is the purpose of assessment? How do you assess students in our class? How has the MYP changed assessment in your course? If you weren't at the meeting on Thursday, please review the Assessment Policy, and consider how you would respond to these questions.  

Next week we'll review the Language Profile Philosophy Policy. While this is most relevant to our Language Acquisition courses, it is especially important for all Advisors to be familiar with our policy, both to understand students' total programs and to respond to parents' inquiries. In advance of next week's meeting, please read and review the policy.  

Special Schedules

Holiday Tea
Special Schedule for 12.15.2015 Holiday TeaC
PERIODStart timeEnd timeMin6A6B7A7B8A8B8C
07:30 AM8:00 AM30
Morning Meeting8:00 AM8:10 AM10Morning Meeting/ Advisory
18:15 AM9:05 AM50LLMAAMMM
29:10 AM10:00 AM50MLLMSCIDDD
Break10:00 AM10:15 AM15Break
310:15 AM11:05 AM50LALALLMSCIISLL
411:10 AM12:00 PM50ISSCIDDLLSCIIS
Lunch12:00 PM12:35 PM35Lunch
512:40 PM1:30 PM50SCIISPHEPHEISLLSCI
Holiday Tea1:30 PM3:10 PM100Holiday Tea
After School3:10 PM4:00 PM
Extended Day6:00 PM

 Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day
Special Schedule for 12.16.2016 Grandparents' & Special Friends' DayFRIDAY
PERIODStart timeEnd timeMin678
07:30 AM8:00 AM30Orchestra
Morning Meeting8:00 AM8:10 AM10Advisory
18:10 AM9:00 AM50MS Expo Set-up & Locker Cleanout
29:00 AM9:30 AM30Faculty Share
9:30 AM9:45 AM15Transition to Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day (Students expecting guests report to the Front Hall)
9:45 AM10:30 AM45Special Performance in the Great Hall
MS Expo10:30 AM11:30 AM60MS Expo
11:30 AM12:00 PM30Cleanup

December

Just a reminder from our most recent faculty meeting of events coming up:
  • Wed 7 Dec Faculty Holiday Celebration (sponsored by the AWSPA)
  • Tue 13 Dec MS/US Lessons & Carols
    • 3:15pm "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in the Lounge
    • 4:00pm Pizza in the Dining Room
    • 5:00pm Lessons & Carols
    • 6:00pm Reception for students in the Small Gym
    • All MS Students will be dismissed from the Small Gym
  • Wed 14 Dec Civvies Day 10:00am MS Holiday Celebration in the Lounge
  • Thu 15 Dec Special Schedule - MS Dress Uniform - 1:30pm Holiday Tea
  • Fri 16 Dec - LS/MS Dress Uniform Grandparents & Special Friends' Day 
    • 8:00am Advisory
    • 8:10am Expo Set-up and Locker Cleanout
    • 9:00am Faculty Share
    • 9:30am Registration opens for GSFD
    • 9:45am MS Performance in the Great Hall
    • 10:30am MS Expo in the Library
    • 11:30am Expo Cleanup
    • 12:00pm Dismissal
    • 2:30ishpm White Elephant at the Parkway

January

First Semester Final Assessments are scheduled for January 18-20. If you are planning to give a final assessment in your course, please let Bill know by Wednesday, December 7. Before Winter Break, we'll build a draft schedule for finals that includes time for tests, Design, Arts, PHE, and launching auction projects. 

January 20 is Inauguration Day. We will build in time for the MS to watch the Inauguration, and Jen McConnell has graciously offered to organize some community building around the event (I'm guessing there will be a Presidential trivia game involved). If you have any thoughts about how we might mark the event, please let me or Jen know. 

On Tuesday, January 24, the Middle School will venture up to Seattle for the National Geographic Live Student Matinee Series at Benaroya Hall. We'll hear Hilaree O'Neill talk about the Nat Geo team's journey to the summit of Hkakabo Razi in Burma. Students will be prepared for the experience in Science classes. At this point, we have secured tickets for all students and 12 Advisors to go. We are reaching out to secure a few more tickets, but if you cannot join the group because of scheduling conflicts in other divisions, please let Bill know asap.  

Spring Journeys

We have finalized the list of chaperones for Spring Journeys. 
  • 6th Grade Journey to California: Shelli (Coordinator), Jen, Emma, Bill
  • 7th Grade Journey to the Southwest: Kyle (Coordinator), Liz, Taralynn, John R
  • 8th Grade Journey to Costa Rica: John H (Coordinator), Angelica, Niki, Clare

Student Recognition

2017-2018 Calendar

The 2018-2018 Calendar has been finalized and can be found here. The calendar follows the pattern of the current and last years. This spring, after two years of full-week breaks in November and February, we will evaluate for 2018-2019.    

                  Following Up...

                  Communications

                  This week, the blog for families will feature the Individuals & Societies and PHE programs. Please email your post to Bill or Alicia, or drop it in the corresponding box on this doc. 

                  Think about...

                  In August and September, The Atlantic published a series of articles about several key dimensions of school life. I'm planning on reading these in the coming weeks, but a cursory scan suggests that these articles will affirm much of our approach and provoke reflection on big ideas about our purpose and practice. Enjoy!

                  Upcoming opportunities

                  • The Christmas Revels will be at the Rialto this month, featuring our very own Rae Wartelle! For more information, visit the Broadway Center website. 
                  • "30 Americans" is making its West Coast debut at the Tacoma Art Museum on Saturday, September 24 and running until January 15. The show features a group of prominent African American artists who are major players in contemporary art. 
                  • Amara is opening an Emergency Sanctuary Program in Tacoma and is looking for volunteers to commit to one shift per month to play games, go on field trips, help prepare meals and keep house, and to spend time with children in the program. If you're interested in learning more about volunteering with this organization, there are info meetings coming up on Thursday, October 13 and Saturday, October 15. 

                  Upcoming Religious & Cultural Observances

                  • Sunday, November 27 marked the beginning of the Advent season for Christians. Advent ends on December 24. 
                  • Tuesday, December 6 is the Christian Feast of St. Nicholas, who inspired the legend of Santa Claus. 
                  • Thursday, December 8 is the Buddhist holiday Bodhi Day, known in Japan and in Zen Buddhist communities as Rohatsu, which celebrates the enlightenment of the Buddha. It is also the Catholic feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

                  Important Links

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