Tag Archives: News

News from the Library

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Welcome to the Elementary Library

It has been a wonderful beginning to the year in the Elementary Library. The returning students walked in oohing and aahing over the new space, briefly mourn the loss of the loft, and check out many, many books. The new students quickly get the hang of things, and know they can approach Ms Stella, Ms Joji and me with any questions.

With more than 1/3 of our Elementary Students being new to SAS this year, it seems like a good time to share some information about our library.

Our Shanghai American School Library houses the largest collection of English books in all of China, and although our ES Pudong library is the smallest of our 4 libraries, it has close to 30,000 titles in its physical, and digital collection…How lucky are we?

We currently have 60 kindles, 60 Ipod nano’s and 20 Ipads all loaded with books, (some kindles have over 150 books on them) so there is no shortage of new reading material available. If there is a book you want to read, and we don’t have it in our Pudong Elementary library, check destiny to see if we have it somewhere else, like Middle School, or Puxi Campus. If you can’t find it there, let me know and I’ll order it for next year, and possibly purchase on kindle, audio or Ibooks if it is available.

We encourage your children to bring back their library books as they finish them; and not wait until their allocated library day to return them. They can place books on the blue cart in the main hallway as they enter the Elementary School in the morning. Kinder and Pre K students can place them in a basket in their classroom and they will be brought over each morning by a library helper. Each book checked out by children and parents is for 14 days

To use our database to see what is available in our library go to http://destiny.saschina.org and click on Pudong Elementary then log in using your school ID number as the username AND password. From here you can check the catalog to see what we have, go to ‘my info’ to see what you have checked out, and renew books as long as they are not already overdue.

Guidelines for Check Out

We encourage students to check out many books through the year.

Each time they come to the library:

Pre K can check out 3 books *

Kindergarten can check out 5 books *

1st Grade can check out 5 books *

*(this is the maximum students can have checked out at any one time)

Grade 2-Grade 5 can have UNLIMITED check-out privileges; so they need to use their common sense and make sure they don’t check out more books than they can read/carry.

While Grade 2-Grade 5 students check out is unlimited, within that, they can check out a maximum of:

-3 Graphic Novels

-3 DVD’s

-3 Books in a Series

We encourage EVERY student in Elementary to check out at least ONE non-fiction book each check out period.

Additional Lunch Recess Library Visits

Monday and Wednesday-Grades 2 and 4 are allowed to check out in the library during their lunch recess time. If the day is too hot/wet/polluted you are welcome to stay and read. If the day is fine, we’ll send you out to play once you’ve checked out your books.

Tuesday and Thursday-Grades 3 and 5 are allowed to check out in the library during their lunch recess time. If the day is too hot/wet/polluted you are welcome to stay and read. If the day is fine, we’ll send you out to play once you’ve checked out your books.

Parent Check Out

Each parent is allowed to have 10 books checked out in their name at any one time. Please come in and see us to find out how we can help you this year in the library.

Parent Volunteers

We have a robust volunteer system in the Elementary Library. Some parents volunteer for a regular time, some drop in when they can, or if we e mail them specifically to ask for help, and some spend an hour or two when they come in to school for a child’s activity, and have some extra spare time.

If you think you would like to volunteer, we will have a welcome meeting on Friday September 6th, straight after the Principal’s Coffee. It will also be an information session on using our library catalog and databases, as well as general advice on making the most of your child’s library experience. You won’t be pressured to volunteer; it’s just a chance for you to learn more about what we can offer you such as access to Sora (overdrive) Flipster and RB Digital which you can also read more about here. http://libguides.saschina.org/c.php?g=891876

We can’t wait to greet you all in the library. With over 1,000 new books, bringing our collection to about 30,000 items, there really is something in our library for everyone!

We are so excited to have you as part of our community. I think you’ll agree with me that the facilities we have at SAS are second to none, and when it comes to the Libraries at our school, that is indeed the case.

Ms Joji, Ms Stella and Mrs Power

 

News of the Moment

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Mark your calendars!
The much anticipated dance showcase is just around the corner!  Please join us for an afternoon of amazing performances featuring ES, MS and HS students.  Be prepared to be wowed with broadway, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, reggae, k-pop, ballet, contemporary and more!

Mark your calendars!

The much anticipated dance showcase is just around the corner!  Please join us for an afternoon of amazing performances featuring ES, MS and HS students.  Be prepared to be wowed with broadway, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, reggae, k-pop, ballet, contemporary and more! Two of our 5KP students and my own daughter Hannah are involved in this performance, I am looking forward to encouraging our students to live their dreams.

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Yearbooks are selling like hotcakes!
 To avoid disappointment, we would like to stress that we only are selling 300 Yearbooks. Once this figure is reached, Yearbook sales will close.
If you did not receive a yearbook form, you are able to pay directly to the cashier so just give the cash to me, and I will make sure you get your yearbook.

Important Dates and Events
• Band and Orchestra concert – Friday, May 11th at 1:15 p.m.
• All Day Field trip to Jinshan Peasant Painting Village – Friday, May 18th
• Memoir publishing party – Tuesday, May 22nd at 8:15 a.m.
• Grade 5 Soccer Day – Tuesday, May 22nd
• China Alive all-day field trip – Thursday, May 31st
• Fifth Grade United Nations Day – Friday, June 1st at 10:30 a.m. (parents are welcome)
• Step Up Day – Friday, June 1st
• The Wonder Years: Puberty Week – June 4 to June 8
• Summer Sizzler – Thursday, June 7th
• Moving Up Day – Friday, June 8th
• Last Day of School – Tuesday, June 12th – School closes at 11:30 a.m.

We’ve started looking at Unit 12 in Math which focuses on rations and factorization. We will complete this unit and work on selected skills that the Middle School Math Department have said would benefit our students before they transition to sixth grade.

In Social Studies we are loving our Cultural Studies Unit. If you have a vpn, try and watch this video at home.

Our Memoirs Unit is going well in Writer’s Workshop, the kids are trying out many different ideas to stimulate their thinking for writing their own Memoir, which we will present to you on May 22nd, I hope to see you here.

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Thursday Update

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It was wonderful to catch up with nine families this afternoon. Thank You for making the effort to come in and talk about your child; I really want their last year of Elementary School to be one they remember; together, we can make it one they remember in a positive way.

If you are coming in tomorrow, don’t forget there are plenty of great books for sale at the school entrance; you can never have too many books! I look forward to seeing you in the afternoon.

Math
We have begun our new math unit on division and I have told the students that this is the start of them being smarter and stronger than ever, a chance for them to do better on Unit 4 than on Unit 3, so I hope to see many of them revising at home as division is important, and as the unit is short, I aim to have the test during the week of November 14th-18th.

Writing and Reading
In our Writer’s Workshop, we’ve had a bit of a break this week as we’ve gotten stuck into our Social Issues Book Clubs in a big way. However, we are still on track to finish our Second Narrative in time for a Writer’s Celebration next Friday November 11th. For Reader’s Workshop, the students are learning the importance of group dynamics and good communication skills as they negotiate with each other, discussing the books they are reading.

Book Clubs for Social Issues

Social Studies

Our Migration Unit is well under way, check out your child’s blog, I know they would love you to comment on their migration trail, and there may just be something else there for you to read as well…

In closing, I hope some of you can make it to the idance presentation as you will recognize many faces of students throughout the school.

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News of the Moment

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Dates for your Diary:

  • Monday, Tuesday and Thursday this week are our final ASA’s for the first session
  • MAP Testing – Tuesday, October 25 to Thursday, October 27 (No Studying Required)
  • Our Unit Three Map test is Tuesday October 25th
  • United Nations Day – Thursday, October 27th
  • Halloween Parade, Assembly and Party – Monday, October 31st
  • Parent-Teacher Conferences – Thursday, November 3 and Friday, November 4 (Half day of school for students)
  • Writer’s Workshop Celebration November 7th
  • OUR TURN TO BAKE FOR 5TH GRADE TREAT DAY
  • Reader’s Workshop Celebration November 11th
  • 5th Grade Band and Strings Concert – Friday, November 18th (last period I believe, so be there before 2pm)
  • End of first trimester – Friday, November 18th
  • Thanksgiving break – No school on Wednesday, November 23rd, Thursday, November 24th and Friday, November 25th
  • Santa’s Workshop – Monday, December 5th
  • Elementary School Sing-along – Friday, December 16th
  • Last day of school – Friday, December 16th (school closes at 11:30 a.m.)

  • Message from the Nurse

    Occasionally, parents are confronted by their child complaining of feeling ill on a school day.  The following information is designed to offer guidance of when to send your child to school and when to keep them home due to illness.   They are meant to benefit your child and the SAS community’s health and well being.  These are also conditions for which your child may be sent home from school.  Illness is an excused absence and your child will not be penalized for missing class.  If you are unsure of which action you should take, please contact your doctor or school nurse.

    FEVER

    • A fever is a warning that all is not right with the body.  The best way to check for fever is with a thermometer, which every home should have.  No child with a temperature equal to or above 100 F (37.8 C) should be sent to school.  A child needs to be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.
    • Normal body temperature is 98.6 F (37 C).

    Screen shot 2011-10-23 at 8.16.30 PM

    COLD, SORE THROAT, COUGH

    • A child with a “mild” cold, but otherwise feeling well, may go to school.
    • A child with a “heavy” cold and a hacking or productive cough belongs at home even if there is no fever.
    • A child complaining of a mild sore throat with no other symptoms may go to school.  If white spots can be seen in the back of the throat, or if fever is present, keep the child at home.

    STOMACH ACHE, VOMITING, DIARRHEA

    • Consult your doctor if your child has a stomach ache or abdominal pains which are persistent or severe enough to limit his/her activity.
    • If vomiting occurs, keep your child home until he or she can keep food down.
    • A child with diarrhea should be kept home.
    • Toothache – contact your dentist
    • Earache – consult you doctor
    • Headache – a child whose only complaint is a minor headache usually need not be kept home.  Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids and ensure they are getting a proper amount of sleep each night.  Frequent or persistent headaches may indicate a serious health problem.

    CONJUNCTIVITIS

    • Also known as “pink eye”.  Student will be sent home/must stay home until they have received 24 hours of antibiotic eye drop treatment.
    • Symptoms include eye redness, itching, and increased drainage or pus.  It is very contagious!

    RASH

    • Rash or spots may cover the entire body or appear in only one area.  Call you physician or school nurse if you are uncertain about whether to send your child to school with a rash.

    The information provided is not intended as a substitute for appropriate medical intervention.  If your child is kept home from school, please call your school secretary to notify them of the absence.  For further questions please contact your school nurse:

    Chiho Stenger                           Pudong ES Nurse                    Chiho.Stenger@saschina.org 6221-1445 x3309

    I’d also like to encourage parents to read the article in The Eagle by Sacha McVean our elementary principal regarding our children getting enough sleep. Last week, one of our students fell asleep during class, later telling me that midnight was the time they’d gone to sleep the night before. I really believe that many of our SAS students are very tired, and could use more sleep so please read the article and let me know if there is anything I can do to help; I also have a 5th grader, so I understand what it is like.

    While you are checking out The Eagle, have a look and see if it was your child photographed for the online version!!! There is a coffee pass for the first person who can comment on my blog telling me the names of the students as a reward for reading this far!!!

    Mid Week News Update

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    Parents, my in box is over-flowing with bits and pieces I am to pass on to you, so here goes!

    But first of all, I loved seeing all of the kids shine last Thursday and Friday as they took charge and shared their achievements with you, well done 5KP, so proud of you!

    http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=71649

    E.R.B. testing concludes tomorrow, I am impressed with how seriously the students have taken the testing, and you should look forward to them discussing the topic with you tonight. They complete their final draft in the morning.

    Swimming starts again this Monday, the 18th of April, so Tuesday for 5KP) Read all about it on Mr. Hossack’s blog.

    Track and Field Day is next Wednesday, read about the details here, the idea is new, it should be great.

    Wednesday is also the day that our class will be reading for one hour in with the aim of raising money for our read-a-thon (the notes for this are coming home tomorrow) however, in brief, it is a fundraiser organized by the high school students here at SAS and although participation in the money raising part is not mandatory, we will all be reading that morning and I plan to contribute money to those who make it through the whole hour. See the handout tomorrow for more details or check out the GIFTS club website here.

    If you are interested in Summer School:
    All the Summer Program information is online at www.saschina.org/summerprogram
    This web page gives everyone access to:
    Program descriptions & schedules
    Online registration forms
    Policies & procedures
    Lunch menus

    If your child is interested in promoting their artistic skills, then this is for them!

    There is an art contest for grade level cover pages within the year book. You have to be in it to win it 5KP!

    Screen shot 2011-04-13 at 10.03.45 AM

    TIME FOR A CLEAN OUT?

    We are currently collecting shoes, clothing and now even animal products for the High School Animal Rescue. Here is a message from the Animal Rescue group: We have a rescue shelter visit coming up quickly, this Saturday, and we have just confirmed with them that what they could most use are toys, leashes, harnesses, and blankets (they also want newspapers and large plastic bins if anyone is looking to get rid of those things too!).  If you are spring cleaning and have any of these items (or really anything animal-related … that is, we might not be able to use your old cages, kennels, brushes, treats etc this visit, but there’s always a need for them), please send me a quick email.  I can arrange a student to come to your classroom … or even to your home if the item is too bulky to bring in on the bus.

    So, if you don’t need it, we do, no matter what it is! Send it in!

    Screen shot 2011-04-13 at 10.40.31 AM

    Here is an opportunity for another chance to give:

    Please read the note below from Miss Ivarsson, an SAS High School student:

    Dear All,

    My name is Andrea Ivarsson and am, together with the SAS Orphanage Club, organizing a yard sale at the school which will take place on April 21st in the cafeteria. We would like to encourage the whole campus to donate items as the profits will go to the Lao Wang orphanage in An Hui.

    Thank you so much,

    The Orphanage Club
    Andrea Ivarsson

    That’s All folks….

    News of the Moment

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    Hi 5KP Families

    I hope you enjoyed your Spring Break as much as I did. I have also loved being back in the classroom with your children now that the weather is improving for the better.

    http://photopeach.com/public/swf/story.swf

    Yesterday I stumbled onto an article I would like to share with you; I don’t know about you, but I am having some minor frustrations with my nearly ten year old lately and I could really relate to some of the anecdotal stories shared here; maybe if there is nothing here for you, you could pass it onto someone else who feels the same!

    Now, some classroom announcements.

    Next Monday there is no school for any of us, I hope you enjoy your day together. Tuesday is Day Without Shoes.

    Math: We will have our Unit 8 math test this Friday, the two page, 29 question test will cover skills such as converting fractions to decimals and percentages, understanding how to find a common denominator, ordering fractions, adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions and finding equivalent fractions. I really believe that some of the work they have done in the classroom during this unit is more difficult than what we will be represented on the test; therefore, if students continue to go over their math journal/study/skills links for the next two days, I am certain they will achieve high test results.

    Writer’s Workshop: I am thrilled with the classroom work going on this week as we review and edit our literary essays. I am really witnessing growth by the students and allowing them to take time to try and get it right and to publish something they can be proud of that they will then share with you next week. Once we publish our essay, we will begin some preparation for the upcoming E.R.B. tests to make sure the students are comfortable and prepared.

    The E.R.B. Writing Assessment is coming up quickly.     Fifth grade will be administering the test during the week of April 11. Over the next couple of weeks our students will be learning how to write to a prompt.

    So far we know that:
    Good writers read all of the instructions FIRST.
    Good writers make a plan using the suggestions from the prompt.
    During a writing assessment writers write fast and furious (like every day)
    Writers always use a mentor to talk about their writing ideas (this can be done between the two days)

    Students write to a prompt and are then scored in the following areas:

    * Overall Development ~ How well the writer communicates with the reader, shows awareness of the audience and purpose for writing, and writes in the appropriate mode of discourse.

    * Organization ~ The writer’s ability to choose a focus, develop a logical plan of organization, and maintain coherence throughout the paper.

    * Support ~ The use of appropriate reasons, details, and examples to enhance the effect and/or support the generalization and conclusion of the piece.

    * Sentence Structure ~ Completeness, correctness, and variety of sentences. Sophistication of sentences.

    * Word choice ~ The correct usage, specific vocabulary, freshness, and vividness of language.

    * Mechanics ~ The correct and effective use of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphing.

    Each student’s writing is evaluated independently by two readers who are thoroughly trained and experienced in analytic scoring. If the two readers’ ratings for any of the six elements differ by more than one point, the essay is read by a scoring supervisor who decides on a final rating for the element.

    What do YOU think writers should think about when writing to a prompt?

    Reader’s Workshop: Our next unit will be on Memoirs and I will start reading a great Memoir to the class after the SLC’s. It is called ‘Small Steps’ by Peg Kehret and is about her experience with Polio. If you have any members of your extended family who have had personal experience with Polio, we would really welcome your input. If you are unsure about the difference between a memoir, an autobiography and a biography, increase your understanding here. In a nutshell, it is a difficult unit for the students because they feel they haven’t got enough life experience to complete any sort of memoir; however as I break it down for them, we discover that they can always find some small stage of their lives that has more meaning than others, and we go from there… slowly, slowly, indeed, with Small Steps! This will be our main Writer’s Workshop piece during the month of April.

    Social Studies and Science: These areas will have us beginning our building and design unit with Lego now that we have finished Migration. We will also be continuing to look at current events; there are certainly plenty to choose from, and hopefully we will find that not all of them are negative.

    Student Led Conferences:     Please read the Elementary Principal’s Blog to read more about the exact details and purpose behind these. As committed and involved parents, I am aware that you don’t want your time wasted and I am looking forward to the opportunity for you and your child engaging together about their learning; I really hope to make it worth your while.  Please e mail me if you are uncertain of your S.L.C. time.

    I look forward to seeing you on the 7th and 8th and will leave you with a letter from Dr. Rosen about Friday morning’s events. H

    Dear Parents of Current Grade 5 Students:

    My name is Jeff Rosen and I am the Middle School Principal here at SAS Pudong.  On behalf of Karl Poulin our Vice Principal, our counselors, all the teachers of our middle school and myself, we look forward to welcoming your son/daughter into our middle school.  A few words below regarding the nature of the transitioning process.

    An early edition of Middle Ground magazine makes an interesting point about transitions in life:

    Transitions of all kinds require us to seek out and navigate the same three components: safety, information, connection. For every transition we go through in life, no matter the magnitude, these three elements make repeated appearances. Think about it: when we move into a new community we ask, “How safe is it? Where is the nearest grocery store? Who are my neighbors?” Whether you are a young person facing middle school for the first time or an adult taking a new job, you want to feel safe, gain an understanding about the situation, and have someone to turn to.

    For many young adolescents, the transition from Elementary to Middle School can be a time of mixed emotions and feelings of uncertainty, even as it presents wonderful new opportunities.  The Middle School at SAS Pudong wants to ensure that all new and upcoming students, along with their parents, feel safe and welcome, have sound knowledge of our programs and our characteristics unique from Elementary school, and are connected to our many resources available for information, advice and general support.  In order to accomplish this goal, we have designed the following transition program for our 5th Graders and their families:

    Save the Date:  Friday April 1st at 9 a.m – 10:30 a.m

    All parents of current Grade 5 students will have the opportunity to meet in the Library Lecture Hall.  They will be introduced to “life in the middle school” with plenty of time for questions.

    Wednesday April 6th 2:15 – 2:55

    All current Grade 5 students will meet in the Library Lecture Hall for a presentation as well as receive a course catalog for 2011-2012.

    By April 15th,  all course registration sheets should be returned to Grade 5 Homeroom teachers.  We will register all Grade 5 students for their courses the week of April 18-22.

    Also, as part of our transition process,  our middle school counselors will be in all Grade 5 classrooms to answer individual questions about the transition into middle school.  Further, all grade 5 students will have the opportunity to tour the middle school and spend some time with our teachers.

    We hope that this transition program will help our 5th Grade students and their families get a sense of our middle school and its programs, and we look forward to seeing you all on the above mentioned date(s).  If you have any questions regarding our middle school program, please feel free to contact me –

    jeff.rosen@saschina.org –  and don’t forget to follow us on our middle school blog – http://teachers.saschina.org/mspudong/

    Sincerely,

    Jeff

    Welcome Parents of 5KP

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    Hello and welcome to many of you who are visiting this blog for the first time. This will be my primary way of relaying news and information to you about your child and our lessons so I hope you find time to check it once a week. I suggest that day be Monday, as I often find time to post news and update photos over the weekend.

    The blog alert e mail that led you to this page is something I will only activate when it is important for you to see what I have written (again, I will aim for Monday). There will be many other times when I post information that is relevant for the students but not necessary for you to see so I will deactivate the alert at that stage. I know you are busy, I value your time and I don’t want the blog to stress you out; rather to give you a snapshot of some of the activities we are enjoying in 5KP.

    Feel free to look at it as often as you like, there are links to other classes, your child’s specialist teachers and other sites relevant to our learning. The blog will not be a way to communicate homework: that will be done through your child’s homework diary/assessment book/agenda! E mail is the best way to get to me quickly however I would love to see some of your comments on our blog and so will your child when they have their very own blog which will be set up over the next two weeks.

    Here are some dates that may be worth putting on your calendar:

    *Parent Information Fair Thursday, August 26th at 8:00 am
    *1st PTSA General Meeting Thursday, August 26th at 9:00 am
    *Open House Wednesday, September 8th (details to be announced)
    *PTSA Pudong Fall BBQ Saturday, September 18th

    Please now read the recent posts below which contain photos of your child and other school news. You will learn a few things about me by clicking on the ‘KIMBRA POWER’ link at the top of the page. I look forward to learning more about you too in the weeks ahead and can’t wait to see you at our Open House.

    News of the Moment

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    Thank You to Ms. Yick for posting these guiding questions that we are going to use to review the Invention Process and our successes and frustrations as inventors. Please copy the questions below and paste them onto your Invention Convention Page of your blog and then answer each one in detail under the question it is referring to.
    INVENTION CONVENTION REVIEWIMG_7461

    1. What is the problem you are trying to solve?

    2.How did you come up with the inspiration for your invention?

    3.What does your invention do?

    4.How does it work?

    5.What materials did you use?

    6.What existing product/system did you SCAMPER from?

    7.How is your invention better than the existing one?

    8.How much does your invention cost?

    9.How did you decide to sell it for this price?

    10.What did you try that didn’t really work?

    11.How did you solve for this in your final invention?

    12. Why should people buy your invention?

    13.What possible problems could there be with your invention?

    14.What improvements could be made?

    Now write a paragraph summing up the whole experience including your favourite parts, frustrating parts and your level of success. Then make sure your video of your presentation is posted on this page and you are done! Well done 5KP!

    In other news…

    Our Memoir Publishing Party has been put back until Thursday due to student absences and other commitments making this a very busy week. If you would like to send in any treats, please do so today or tomorrow so that we are ready to celebrate the amazing work the students have created. Already I have really enjoyed reading the very different Memoirs of Matthew, Emma, Miranda, Nicole and Nick so please take the time to not only look at your child’s writing but also that of their classmates

    Tomorrow on June 2nd we have a presentation at 10:30 from Dr. Bristol, an Attending Pediatrician, as well as the Chief Medical Officer from Shanghai United Family Hospital. The title of the presentation is “My Mind and Body are Changing: What Gives?”
    Some of the topics Dr. Bristol will talk about include:
    – Normal adolescent growth and development, including physical changes
    – Normal weight and height ranges for teens.
    – Acne and other rashes
    – Internet safety
    – How to avoid risky behaviors
    – Way to deal with peer pressure
    – Career planning for the adolescent

    Events this Week:
    7th Grade China Alive Photography Show
    May 31 – June 4 – 11:00-1:30
    1) Winning photos from 10 categories, enlarged, framed and available in a silent auction. Bidding begins at 11:00 May 31 and ends Jun 4 at 1:30.
    2) 4 x 6 photos available from each 7th grade student for 50RMB
    3) Special sale times also during the Music concerts on Jun 1 & 2 from 5:30-6:30 in the auditorium
    4) Proceeds go to projects in Lijiang, China – Zhangfei Primary school and The Nature Conservancy

    We look forward to seeing you on Friday as we celebrate your child’s achievements at our Moving Up Ceremony.

    Later that day the elementary school will have its Summer Sizzler (field day).  This is an exciting event where students will participate in many fun games and activities.  There will be a mix of team relays, individual track and field events, and fun activities that might involve water.    If  you want to come along as a parent and watch and cheer you are of course welcome to join us.  The Lower Elementary (grades pre-k to 2) will be starting at 8:30 on the elementary playground and the Upper Elementary (grades 3 to 5) will start at 12:35 on the field beside the track. The Grade 5 tug of war will be from around 11.45 to 12 pm with lunch to follow until 12.30. Make sure your child has with them a change of clothes, plenty to drink, sunscreen and a hat

    News of the Moment

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    I passed!!! 

    Finally, on test number 5, I have been allowed to drive on the roads of Shanghai. Thanks for your support parents and especially students and thanks for the celebratory treats to share today, brownies AND caramello koalas, hooray for Matthew and Kevin!

    We now have all the students safely returned after Spring Break. It has been fun for the class to hear what everyone got up to over the week-long vacation; we are certainly very fortunate people to go to some of the places we travel to; the list of cities visited over the break was certainly impressive… New York, Shanghai, Nanjing, Guilin, Sanya, Hong Kong, Bali, Egypt, Seoul, Phuket, Sydney, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Singapore, Siem Reap, Xi’an, Hangzhou and Huangshan just to name a few. Honestly, these travel destinations read like a lonely planet guide book. I hope we don’t take for granted the exciting life we lead.

    Math: We are working on Unit 9 and the students are focused on learning about Area and Volume.

    Science: In Science the class are really enjoying phase one of our Invention Convention Unit. They each have a booklet to work from for the LEGO unit and over the last few days they have learned about structures and forces, levers and rigid shapes. This combined with the work they are doing in our Reading is getting them very enthused in preparation for phase two of the Invention Unit when we will make our own inventions.

    Reading: We are looking at graphic novels about various inventors in our Reading Groups and the students are relishing their roles as discussion director, fact finder, succinct time-liner and character captain. Ask them which role they took on today and which inventor they are currently learning about.

    Writing: The students are looking at how to be more descriptive in their writing in preparation for the E.R.B. tests. Please see attached an informational letter regarding the Educational Records Bureau (E.R.B.) Writing Assessment Test. The test is administered over two days, April 14 and 15, for approximately 60 minutes each day and will be completed by all Pudong students.  The objective of this test is to determine how well our students write in comparison to commonly accepted measures. The E.R.B. is a standardized test that has both validity and reliability. It is used in schools across the U.S. and around the world.

    ERB letter to parents

    Here are some news items for you

    ‘The Book Fair is Coming!!’

    Shanghai Book Traders  BOOK FAIR
    When:  Wednesday-Friday, April 7th-9th,
    Time: During school hours, close early on Friday 2 p.m.
    All third graders will be attending the book fair on Thursday, April 8th from
    9-9:30.

    Money should come to school with your child that day.

    SAS Gala flyer is attached here and the main details are below.

    Picture 1