11th and 12th Grade Class Coffee
January 23, 2020
Welcome – Nissa O’Mara, Parents’ Council Upper School Coordinator
Wendy Hill, Ph.D., Head of School
Welcome and thank you for coming. January is a great time to reflect on the year so far. This has been a great one with many events for the 150th, including regional events for alumnae. Wendy attended the New York City event with about 100 alums, including women from the 70s through the 2010s. Events like this show the incredible network that our girls have far beyond graduation. More regional events are planned for the next few months, culminating in the 150th weekend in May.
In December the Board of Trustees announced the next head of school, Sally Keidel. Some of you may remember her from when she was here as director of enrollment. Looking forward to working with her over the next few months working on transition, but still being mindful of her current responsibilities as the head of the Montgomery School. Planning opportunities for the parent community to mete or reconnect with Sally though meet and greet events - more info to come.
Wigs Frank, 12th Grade Dean (for Lisa Webster)
The new semester began on Monday, January 20. Grades and comments will be coming over the next week or so.
One great thing about AIS is the mix of old and new traditions, and one fun new tradition is the flag football tournament which coincides with the Super Bowl. The girls are looking forward to a spirited competition.
The Wednesday afternoon seminar block has been a success - gives faulty the opportunity to do different things they could not do in a normal class person. For example, Trish Colclaser took her Calculus class to Bryn Mawr College to see real world applications of math in action and Maya Teredesai (MS English) and Wigs had their 8th and 11th grade classes discuss the law as it related to both the 8th graders’ study of To Kill A Mockingbird and the legal issues at Guantanamo Bay.
Seniors are expected to earn their privileges very soon - usually include the option to leave campus during their free versions and free (Friday) dress each day. Lisa will send a letter to parents requesting permission for off campus privilege.
Prom is Saturday, April 4. Location is a secret and will be announced in an upcoming assembly. Pre-prom for Juniors and Seniors at AIS - great chance to take pictures and connect with friends before being bussed to prom location. Busses will also bring girls back to AIS after the prom - please have a discussion with your daughters regarding safety around Uber/Lyft rides, etc. if they plan to travel that way when leaving AIS.
There will be a parent conversation with Michael Blanch on drugs and alcohol on April 8. Michael is well known to the girls and always a popular speaker on campus.
The junior class will have their Coating Ceremony on May 1 where they will receive their blazers. This is not open to parents and takes place during the school day.
Seniors are beginning their last semester at AIS, which can be very emotional. Even though many may know where they are going next year, encourage your daughters to keep their study skills sharp, as they will need them in college! Also encourage them to spend time with younger siblings.
Upcoming events for seniors include the 100th Night dinner given by the Alumnae Association to welcome the girls as the newest AIS alumnae (parents do not attend) and a service project with the 50th reunion Class of 1970. More details to come.
Meg Scott and Sarah Quin, College Counseling
We are well immersed in the process with the seniors and beginning to work with the juniors as well.
Senior mid-year grades will be sent to colleges (as will final grades, after graduation). Seniors will also participate in College 101 program from May 26-29. College 101 is a series of seminars of topics the girls will need as they move on from AIS, including self-defense, personal finance and health.
The college process is mostly on hold between now and the next round of decisions (around Spring Break. This is a good time to think about additional visits you and your daughter may need to make during the spring.
Juniors have started meeting with college counseling as their Wellness curriculum. Meg and Sarah really want the girls to come to them personally with questions, rather than use email or have parents reach out. That being said there will be plenty of interaction with parents as well, including a 2 hour meeting with each family in May or June.
This Saturday (Jan. 25) there is a mock ACT being giver at AIS at 9am - please let Meg or Sarah know if you daughter would like to participate.
Chanee Lay, Commencement
Introduced Ashley Smith, who is helping with Commencement coordination.
Juniors are expected to attend Commencement in full dress uniform (including blazers). Additional details will be forthcoming (timing, responsibilities, etc)
Senior parent can find Commencement information under the Commencement tab on the resource board of AIS-ON. There will be clickable links to key documents and registration (once live). Each family may register 10 attendees (including your graduate) - please let Chanee or Ashley know if you need additional seats by emailing to commencement@ais.org. Every attendee MUST be registered.
On the day of Commencement (June 4), girls will attend brunch at 672 with coaches, faculty and staff (parents do not attend). Girls should come dressed and ready for Commencement and a class photo will be taken.
Doors open to the gym at 11:30am and Commencement begins at 1:00. Seating is first come, first served. Immediately following the ceremony there will be a reception in the SLC.
AIS provides a photographer who will take a photo of each girl receiving her diploma so that parents can relax and enjoy the ceremony.
Naveen Mahmoud, 150th Anniversary Committee
She is an alum, class of 2007, and was brought back on board 1 ½ years ago for the 150th anniversary celebration planning. The 11th and 12th grade girls have been so welcoming and helpful as she has been working to produce the 150th.
Upcoming events:
- All school act of kindness.The school put forth a challenge to the entire school community at the beginning of the academic year.It was to do 150 acts of kindness over the course of the year.We have looped in a service-learning opportunity in conjunction with this.All classes will be asked to participate in a drive between now and March 13th, collecting items for Cradles to Crayons.On March 14th we are doing a final event for Cradles to Crayons, unfortunately it is the same day as the SAT, which we know will create some conflict for some student.
- Final event for the 150th Anniversary is over the course of the first weekend in May.On May 1st Tory Burch will interview Billy Jean King.This is a free event for our community, any person in our community can reserve up to 4 tickets.Every single individual, current students included, will need a ticket for admission to this event.Students are highly encouraged to attend.The students have not been counted in the seats, so please reserve for them.Parents, students, faculty, and staff will be able to reserve their tickets a week in advance of the public.
- Saturday, May 2nd, is a large tent party on the Lower School field. This event is $50 per person, all inclusive, with food, music and an open bar.21 years of age and up.
- There will be a party for faculty and staff, exclusively, in April.We are asking you to write letters to faculty and staff, which will be hung as decorations for everyone to see at the event.More information to come on this.
Erin Hinckle, Parents’ Council Events
- Middle School/ Upper School staff appreciation lunch is coming up on February 12th.Lunch for the staff, parents volunteer to set up serve and cleanup.Keep an eye out for signup genius.If you can’t come there are other opportunities on sign up genius to help out.
Spring Market is on April 15th and 16th.On the 15th it opens at noon and runs to 9pm.At 6pm students are asked to leave and the event turns into a cocktail party.On the 16th it opens at 10am and runs to 3pm.Open to the public.Great opportunity for graduation gifts, Mother’s Day gifts, things for summer.
Alison Hastings – Chair of rAISe on the Road
Invitation went out already electronically. This is a party that is usually here but due the change of the date/time of year, and lack of ability to have the tent like in years past, we are moving off campus to Terrain in Devon. Beautiful but smaller, so we have a limited number of tickets that we can sell, please get tickets soon since it will sell out. Not a sit down dinner this year, there will be food stations, passed hors d’oeurves, an open bar, a special tweak to the auction, and of course – the paddle raise. This year’s paddle raise is the 2nd of a 3 year STEAM initiative. Working towards making the STEAM program a part of a greater design concept for the school.
