Notes:

1. Samusocial Update: We have implemented a lot of Service Learning programs in the elementary, and these are all designed to come from the students. One of the really successful things we do is a constant liaison with Samusocial and the Gr 3-5 students. The children plan activities that are collaborative through the year, and we really appreciate the organisation allowing us to be part of the Samusocial week. 

So the Student Council wanted to give them something, and the money raised through their events has gone toward the purchase of a set of backpacks for the Samusocial children. I hear the kids are very excited about this:

A big thank you to all of the students who worked with Mr. Ish and Ms. Joy this year on Student Council.

2. Bake Sales: Another service project this trimester was the KG Bake Sale. This is from Ms. Gina:

Thank you for supporting Kindergarten’s 5th annual bake sale and helping us raise money and awareness for Nebeday: The Mangrove Project.  With your generous support we were able to raise 380,000 CFA, and we reached our goal for our Jane Goodall's Roots and Shoots campaign! Great teamwork, everyone!

3. Quiz Night: A reminder that the event runs on Friday from 4:00 to 5:00 and pick-up is at the gym.

4. Leaver's Assembly: On Thursday next week, we will have a short gathering to say goodbye to some of our friends. We will let the children who are leaving show off their ISD caps (a gift from us), and we'll hear a few words about the Elementary faculty who will be departing. Off to pastures new are Erich Schultz in Grade 4, Reese Ishmael in Grade 5, Stephanie Scoggin our librarian, Nurse Aminata, Omar Gueye from the ELL Department, Chris Zahrobsky with the Pre-K PE, Dede Kongo in French and of course Paul Olson. We'll not be having performances or awards at this assembly, which is at 10:30am. 

5. Opening the Parks in KG: A third service learning project came from KG suggestions to brighten the Kindergarten area and grow some salad. They planted plants, painted pots and made displays. KK called it Clark Park, KB called it Olson Park. Both Paul and I were honored to cut the ribbon to open the area and be given a tour of the pictures, plants and models they had made. Here are Iman and Dior explaining the model:

6. Summer Reading?: There is always information on the Library web site to places where you can find summer reading materials. There are also links enable you to access the Tumblebooks, Tumblereaders and other resources for keeping the kids reading through the summer. Here is the link.

7. Thursday 12 June is a 1/2 Day: Please remember that Thursday is a half-day. Report cards will be handed out on Thursday, as will some other classroom items, I am sure. Please send in an extra bag! 

8. Yearbooks: Ms. Carpenter and her team in the HS have been finishing the yearbooks. They will be sending them around to the oldest child in each family on the last day of school. 

9. Jaguar Dad: If you thought the Jaguar Mom T shirts were cool, take a look at the Jaguar Dad shirts. These will be available next year from the PTO, and this is a sneak preview:

10. More Summer Book Recommendations: CLICK HERE for some book recommendations from the author of Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Desperaux, Kate DiCamillo. 

11. Goree Field Trip: More field trip photos. These from the Gr 5 trip to Goree, which rounded off a very deep in-class social studies unit that really extended the children's thinking and writing skills:

12. Next Year's Calendar: Again, the link to next year's calendar. Please note that the Opening Assembly is at 8:45am on Monday August 18. We advise you to arrive for 8:30 as parking will be at a premium. If you have a driver, please encourage them to park away and come back when it has finished. In addition, the Pre-K 3 & 4 students will go straight to their classes to start their day and not go to the gym. This will help with their transition on what can be a confusing day for the younger children. More information on that to follow. 

Also, there will be a PTO Welcome Coffee in the gym immediately after the Opening Ceremony! 

13. Report Card - Attendance Policy: A final reminder regarding report cards and absences: 

Elementary School students must have at least 80% attendance for a trimester to earn a full report. Less than 80% attendance will gain a “narrative only” report. No reports will be given for a student attending less than 40% of a trimester’s classes.

This is because, as with MS and HS students, we need a certain level of attendance to calculate and ascertain grades for the report card. There will be a letter of explanation in those report cards concerned. 

In addition, we do not give out report cards before June 12; they take a long time to compile and are not printed until the year's end. If a child is not in attendance on that day, they will be mailed if a forwarding address is given, or scanned and emailed. Copies are always kept on file in the office.

14. KG Robo-Expo: Here are some photos from today's Robo-Expo where the KG children shared their environmentally-friendly robots, and the processes they used to design them:

...and if you would like to hear them talk, click below for a youtube link to the speaking robots: KG B click here and KG K click here. 

15. Caps for Leavers!: Please let us know as soon as you can should you be leaving ISD. While we want everyone to stay, we also know that Embassies, agencies, businesses have a habit of giving very little  to parents who are to move, and we do have wait lists for some grades. We also want to know which leavers to give a souvenir ISD cap to on the last morning!!

16. Brainpop: This is a fun web site for many areas of the curriculum, and it is accessible with this information through the school account - Username: aisdakar, Password: brainpop . It's great for brushing up on those skills lost through the summer! Click HERE.

17. June & July Birthday Lunch: Yesterday, the June and July birthday children were the lucky recipients of a birthday pencil. They did bring friends, too. Happy birthday all of you!:

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