Parent Information Evening Lower School

1. Parent Information EveningLower School Thursday October 11, 2012

2. Agenda • Principal- What’s new at XIS? • Language Support Head of Department • Lower School Counselor Thank you Upper School translators!

3. Antonio Carlos Paiva Moniz Elementary Principal at: • The American International School of Abu Dhabi (PYP) in the UAE, • Casablanca American School in Morocco, • Cairo American College in Cairo

4. Family Two sons: • Aaron- teacher at Casablanca American School, • Ashlee- student in Art University in Toronto who will be coming to Nanjing University for a semester in February, Wife Deanna who is the grade 2 Language Support teacher.

5. Beliefs • Schools need to be safe, positive, enriching, learning environments where students are encouraged to be risk-takers and reflective learners. • Great teachers create great schools. • Having students set goals, supported by parents and teachers, internally motivates them to achieve to their highest potential. • Parent partnerships with schools let’s children know that an learning is important. • Students need to reflect on their learning, build on background knowledge and construct new knowledge to develop self knowledge as a learner.

6. Goals for 2012-2013 at XIS • To build a positive school culture of respect, responsibility and safety (the 3Bs), • Work with teachers, specialists and language support teachers to meet the needs of each child. • Use technology for learning and to enrich learning . • Continually review the PYP planners to ensure we as teachers are providing the best learning opportunities for each and every child.

7. Homework Research (Robert Marzano) shows that homework has very little effect on student achievement up to grade 3. That said some students will need to do homework to improve skills. Research shows that: • homework should be differentiated, not the same for everyone, • homework should be purposeful, not busy work, • homework should be balanced throughout the week so that children have time to pursue personal interests and inquiries, • feedback needs to be given if homework is assigned. Most importantly, students need to read or be read to every night to instill a love of reading!

8. What’s New at XIS • Currently reviewing a new curriculum for XIS. • Lower School teachers are working on webpages for effective communication with the school community and to enhance student IT skills. • Weekly assemblies to showcase student learning, talents and to build school community. • Language support teacher in every grade from 1-5. • Swimming program for all students at XIS.

9. Parent Coffee Meetings at XIS? • On one Wednesday a month after the Lower School and Upper School assembly starting at 8:20 am. • Discuss a variety of topics pertaining to learning and your child’s social and emotional needs. • Combine with Upper School Parent Coffees to maximize your time at school.

10. Language Support Jennifer Lemery, Department Head

11. Language Support • One Language Development Expert per grade level. • Work very closely with homeroom teachers to: • Plan lessons • Ensure language is developed appropriately • Design plans that meet individual student needs. • Provide small pull out classes to help those new to English • build language skills • understand what is being studied in the classroom.

12. What Can You Do At Home? • We strongly believe in developing the Mother Tongue, or your child’s native language. • Why??

13. The Facts Mother Tongue • The level of development of a child’s mother tongue is a strong predictor of their second language. For example, the skills of being able to plan out a piece of writing can be applied in the second language once they have been learned in the first. Source: Jim Cummins: Bilingual Children’s mother tongue: Why Is It Important for Education?

14. The Facts In School • When children continue to develop abilities in two languages throughout the primary school years, they gain a deeper understanding of language and how to use it effectively.

15. Why it is Important To develop two languages With one wheel (one language), you can go from place to place.

16. With one big and one small wheel (one good and one not so good language), you can go farther and faster.

17. With two equal-sized wheels (two strong languages), you can comfortably go anywhere you want! Illustrations reproduced with the permission of Professor J. Cummins.]

18. What Can You Do At Home? Reading and Writing Speaking Have your child tell you about his her day. At bedtime, have your child tell you stories (made up or real) in either his/her native language or in English. • Read with your child in your native language. • Have your child read in his/her native language or in English. • Have your child write short stories in his/her native language or in English. For 20-30 Minutes Every Day

19. XIS LS Counseling Heather Cronk

20. What does a LS Counselor do? • Help and support the child’s social, emotional and academic well-being so he/she may reach their full potential at school • Teaching social, emotional, PYP and character education in all classes • Individual and small group counseling • Collaboration

21. Developmental guidance • improvement in a child’s skills and abilities in the areas of relationships • problem solving, understanding and appreciation of self and others • 3 B’s/Learner profile • conflict resolution,decision making and goal setting • child grow and develop both physically, emotionally and socially

22. Referrals/Parent Resources • Speech, family counseling and psycho-educational evaluations • Parenting books • Transition Issues • Support with homework, organization, lack of motivation, shyness, family problems, behavior, bullying, eating habits and social and emotional issues, etc • Counseling website/heathercronk@xischina.com.cn • Open-referral policy

23. Questions? • In case we run out of time and have not addressed your questions please write them on the paper provided and leave them with one of us. • Be sure to leave your name, phone number or email so we can reply with answers to your questions. • Thank you for attending this Parent Information evening!