The Agnes Irwin School Parents’ Council
Lower School Parent/Guardian Coffee
Thursday, January 20th – 9:00 AM
Welcome – Lower School Overview – Elizabeth Elizardi
First semester events Recap:
· 2nd grade balloon parade at Thanksgiving
· Winter concert
· CORE days (new to AIS) wonderful way to connect with our middle school and upper school pals and big sisters, helps build our entire school community. 2 more core days in second semester (March and April)
2nd semester Highlights:
4th Grade
· Robotics showcase for 4th grade parents. (100% participation from 4th grade) Robotics is a voluntary program they can participate in during recess time 3x a week. Showcase is next Wednesday January 26th from 3:30-5:30
· Collaboration with Docutribe, a digital storytelling and documentation project. In the first semester they spent time identifying their own personal strengths, areas of interests and passions through a platform called Thrively. They have been divided into 4 different groups that share a similar passion or interest.
o Animal shelters – good animal welfare practices.
o How to show gratitude to their teachers,
o Naya’s Barn in the playground, how do we maintain it and ensure people are interacting with it responsibly.
· Next is the storytelling arc of the documentary. Interviewing, filming and all those pieces of documentary making. Parents will be involved in a showcase.
· Notable Women Project - later in the spring. Opportunity for students to present their learning in authentic ways to their parents
· 4th-5th grade transition activities: A letter will arrive in the coming weeks detailing all the special events for the 4th grade to begin to know the 5th grade program.
3rd grade
· Service Club - Worked on candy cares for Halloween, promoted all school food drive for Wayne pantry. Helping with cleaning tasks in art room and helping Ms. Haines in the science lab during their recess time. Made cards for senior citizens.
o Spring Project -a bake sale, they are actively working on identifying a cause to support with proceeds.
· The I wonder lab collaboration with Ms. Walker. Learning how to harness the energy of the wind to create turbines after reading “The boy who harnessed the wind” in class.
· Makers Fair. (May) How to make a business plan, create a product, all the economics involved in being an entrepreneur and starting a business. They will be able to sell their products to students across all divisions
2nd grade
· Balloon parade and weather reports occurred in the fall. They will continue to go to Kirks run and visit the creek in spring.
· Letter writing to those professionals that may have a career they aspire to.
1st grade:
Authors Tea. Parents are invited to participate.
Kindergarten
· The Kindergarten Regatta. Take sailboats they built in science and put them into the water in the crew tanks in upper school. They see if their boats sink or float.
· Kindergarten Invention Convention in Spring.
Pre-K
· The Animal Research Project.
Student Assessment in second semester
· Map testing next week. Standardized way of assessing children. It’s not about mastery it’s about growth. Each individual child is measured on their own progress. MAP data is reported at the end of the year when there is opportunity to show growth
· Reports cards published at the end of the month. Math portion of report card will look different due to the new math program, math Investigations. There will be a more robust list of skills in the math portion of the report card.
Parents’ Council – Nissa O’Mara – President
· Thank you for your support of our fall events. All our fall fundraisers did as well or better than the last time they were held in the fall of 2019
· Nomination process – if you are interested in participating in any capacity, please self nominate or nominate a friend. We are looking for individuals to fill roles as class parents, event chairs and on the parents’ council executive committee
o Email: Pcnominations@agnesirwin.org
o Descriptions of positions will be posted on the Parents’ council tab on AIS-ON
o Feel free to reach out to nominations chair Mimi Greenly with questions
Family Skating Night (1/22) – Philadelphia Skating Club in Ardmore – 5:30-7:30
- Free to attend but please register ahead of time
- Fee for rentals
- No food, drink or snacks allowed, everyone must be masked per skating club policy
Bryn Mawr Film Institute Movie Night – February 8th at 7:00: Screening of Mama Mia
o Free to attend but must sign up in advance to reserve seats. Registration is capped at a little over 100 people, theater can hold 300 so you can be comfortably distanced
Lower School Staff Appreciation Lunch
o Grab and go box lunch. If you would like to contribute to the cost of the lunches there is a link on the parents council tab. $20 covers the cost of one lunch.
Raise - 4/22 – 672 Conestoga
o Planning Meeting: February 2nd at 672 at 6:45. Look for more information regarding this event in the PC monthly newsletter
