Issue #22: February 6, 2025

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From the Principal

Ms. Michelle Alzamora

Dear Families,

Mark your calendars! Our Student-Led Conferences are scheduled for February 27th. For logistical details, please see the section on Parent Teacher Conferences below. This exciting event will take place in your child's homeroom classroom, where you'll join a small group of other families for an hour of shared learning and reflection. Your child will be the star of the show, sharing their learning journey and showcasing their accomplishments from the year.

What are Student-Led Conferences?

Student-Led Conferences empower students to take ownership of their learning. They provide a unique opportunity for children to:

Reflect on their progress: Students identify their strengths, challenges, and areas for growth.
Develop self-advocacy skills: Students learn to articulate their learning needs and communicate effectively with adults.
Build confidence: Sharing their work and discussing their learning journey boosts students' self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.
Take responsibility: Students become active participants in their education, fostering a sense of ownership and accountability.

How the Conferences Will Work:

Your child will be preparing for this conference in their classes, gathering their work and reflecting on their learning. During the conference, each family will have dedicated time to meet individually with their child's teachers. Because of the collaborative nature of these conferences, individual appointments cannot be rescheduled. We encourage you to make every effort to attend.

In addition to the homeroom conferences, you are also welcome to visit specialist classrooms (Art, Music, PE, and Arabic.) to see what your child has been working on and speak with the specialist teachers.

Benefits for Families:

Student-Led Conferences also offer significant benefits for families:

Gain insights into your child's learning: Hear directly from your child about their experiences in the classroom.
Strengthen communication with your child: Engage in meaningful conversations about learning and growth.
Partner with teachers: Work collaboratively with teachers to support your child's academic success.

Questions to Ask Your Child During the Conference:

To help your child deepen their reflection on their learning, consider asking some of these questions:

What are you most proud of this year, and why?
What is something you found challenging, and how did you overcome it?
What is a goal you have for the rest of the year?
How do you think you have grown as a learner?
What is your favorite subject, and why?
What is one thing you learned that you think is important?

Open Communication:

While the Student-Led Conferences provide a wonderful opportunity for in-depth discussion, please remember that our teachers are always happy to speak with you at any time throughout the year. Please don't hesitate to reach out to them via email, phone, or by scheduling a separate meeting if you have any questions or concerns.

We look forward to celebrating your child's learning with you on February 27th!

Yours,

Michelle

Parent Teacher Conferences

Dear ACS Families,

We invite you to participate in the Spring 2025 Parent-Teacher Conferences on February 27. There are no classes for students on this date.

** Please understand that the PowerSchool sign-up process applies only to Elementary homeroom, Learning Support, and Counselor conferences.

ES Information

Our Spring Conferences are student-led conferences. Families will spend an extended time in the classroom looking at student growth and learning. Each family will have time to meet with the classroom teacher during the scheduled time.
ES Students are expected to attend conferences with their parents, as they are student-led conferences. Students will be sharing their learning with you and you will have the opportunity to speak with teachers.
For Conference Manager support please contact Ms. Farhan
For PowerSchool support please contact Ms. Khuloud
Conferences with elementary classroom teachers, elementary counselors, and elementary Learning Support teachers are by appointment only; parents/guardians must book through the Conference Manager which opens for sign-ups on Saturday, February 8th at 12:00 pm and closes on Sunday, February 23rd at 12:00 pm. Click here for instructions.
The Arabic, Art, Music, and PE teachers look forward to meeting with you. They will be available to speak with children and their parents in their classrooms for walk-in conferences.
The Arabic, PE, Music, and Art teachers have scheduled lunch breaks. The specialist teachers’ breaks are when classroom teachers are meeting with families. To help you plan your time effectively, please note the following break times:

Morning Break:

Arabic and PE Teachers 10:15 - 10:30
LS Teachers and Counselors 10:20 - 10:40
Art and Music Teachers 10:00 - 10:15

Lunch Break:

Arabic and PE Teachers 1:30 - 2:15
HR Teachers 12:30 - 1:30
LS Teachers and Counselors First Break 1:20 - 2:00
Art and Music Teachers 1:00 - 1:45

Afternoon Break:

Arabic and PE Teachers 3:30 - 3:45
LS Teachers and Counselors 3:20 - 3:40
Art and Music Teachers 3:15 - 3:30

Parent Talks

Please mark your calendars for the following parent talks. More information will be coming soon about the time and location.

Feb 24 - Rigour - What does rigour look like at ACS?
April 28 - Generative Artificial Intelligence - How are we handling GAI at school?

From the ES Counselors

Updated Resource Webpage - Discussion ideas and coping strategies when approaching unfairness, violence, crime and war with your child.

Talking about topics like unfairness, violence, crime and war can be hard. You might not know what to say in the moment. Being ready for these talks can help. Please check out the resources on this page and let us know how we can support you!

Tim Steadman and Hayley Jeanes

From the ES Learning Commons

Get Ready to Celebrate Reading Week! 📚
From February 9-13, let’s dive into the magical world of books!

All Week Long: Show your love for books by dressing up as your favorite book characters. Get creative and let your imagination shine!

🖍️ Book Reading Tracker: Share how your reading adventures make you feel! Color in the emoji that best represents your mood for each book you read. Pick one up from the LC.

Let’s make it a week to remember, filled with fun, creativity, and a love for stories!

Why Is It Important to Read to Your Child?

Reading to your child helps build their vocabulary, improves their listening skills, and strengthens their imagination. It also creates a special bonding time and fosters a lifelong love of books. Plus, the more kids hear words, the better they understand and use them!

Read the full article here: Child Mind Institute

✨ 3:15pm - 4:30pm Monday, February 10th: Book Trivia Competition!