Student and Family Handbook 2007-08

4.0 Family and School

Educational research projects report a positive correlation between family involvement in school and increased student academic performance.

The implication for AIS families is obvious: families that actively support and participate in the education of their children enjoy a greater likelihood of student success and achievement. When students see families being involved in school life, it reassures them that their education is important and creates a positive attitude towards school.

4.1 Family Involvement

AIS invites families to volunteer their time to assist in classes, the library, during recess times or after school as well as attending school activities and functions. Students and teachers are happy to see parents involved in and around the school.  Family members may read stories to students, work in class with individual students by assisting them with their academic work or special projects. Family members are also encouraged to get involved in assisting with field trips, celebratory or routine classroom preparations. 

4.2 Family & School Communication

Maintaining effective channels of communication between home and school is a shared responsibility for everyone in our community.

Enabling families and teachers to have open and regular discussions regarding student learning is a major goal for the school. AIS encourages families to contact teachers and the school’s administration whenever necessary. The school adopts an open-door policy and is happy to receive parents or guardians at any time. However visits should be pre-arranged whenever possible in order to avoid any unnecessary disruption to the regular teaching program. If parents or guardians wish to come in to classrooms they should make arrangements with the respective school principal and teachers in advance.

4.3 Family Orientation

A Family Orientation Evening is scheduled early in the beginning of the school year.  This is an opportunity for families to meet their children’s teachers, learn more about the programs being taught and the objectives for the new school year.

4.4 Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher conferences are scheduled alongside the issue of Semester 1 Progress Reports and Mid-Year Reports. Parents are required to meet with teachers in order to receive Progress Reports. This enables families and teachers to confer about individual student work and performance.  Additionally, families may contact the School Office to request a teacher conference or a meeting with the respective school principal. Teachers may also request families to come to school for consultation at pre-arranged times. As a genuine learning community, AIS encourages all parents and guardians to regularly communicate with their child’s teachers.

4.5 AIS Web Site

The AIS web site provides everyone in the school community with access to comprehensive and up-to date information about the school, its programs and upcoming events. With the vast majority of our families on-line, the AIS web site provides an ideal information resource that is quick and easy to access. As the school’s technological capabilities expand, the AIS web site will play an increasingly important role in supporting effective and efficient communication across our school community.

AIS is committed to supporting ongoing environmental protection measures, including a reduction in the amount of printed paper being circulated. Effective from the beginning of this academic year, information about school events will increasingly be posted on the school’s website. This will enable us to provide more efficient and up-to-date information to our families while at the same time reducing the amount of paper traditionally consumed by school notices.

4.6 AIS E-Mail

To support our move towards a more effective and efficient system of communication between school and home, every student and family will be issued with their own AIS e-mail account at the start of this academic year. Special announcements and information about school events will be sent via e-mail and posted on the school web site. It will be the responsibility of every family to ensure that they regularly check their AIS e-mail account and the school’s web site.

4.7 Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

Every family that enrolls in our school becomes a member of the AIS Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). The PTA is a formal channel of communication between families, teachers, and the administration. It plans and conducts activities to enhance cooperation, raises funds to support all-school activities, and provides materials to enrich the learning experiences of students. Every AIS student benefits from PTA activities.

The PTA is an independent entity organized under the auspices of AIS.  Meetings are scheduled throughout the school year.  A general election of officers occurs towards the beginning of each school year.  A nominal annual membership fee is collected at the time of school registration for each student enrolled.

The major fund-raising event of the year is the annual AIS PTA Cultural Fair. Held on the third Saturday of November, the Cultural Fair is an all-school festival celebrating the cultural and ethnic diversity of the American International School community. The proceeds from the Cultural Fair are used to enhance the AIS educational environment including most recently, the purchase of computers, supplementary reading books, a comprehensive elementary guided reading program, new school lockers, and support for special educational programs such as the Outdoor Adventure and Leadership Program and the AIS Band Program.