High School

Newsletter – June 1

Welcome, June!

Now that we have completed both graduations, Moscow and St. Petersburg, we find ourselves in the midst of final demonstrations of learning that will play out in the remaining days. I value tremendously the remaining plays and programs as they present their “best stuff” to parent audiences. And we have done well to make sure there are packed audiences that reinforce our students for their efforts. We have the Strings Concert tomorrow night, the Elementary School Play today and tomorrow, and a few other opportunities for kids to show how their learning takes form and function that extends beyond the classroom. The time is coming for “pats on the back” and “high fives” for jobs well done.

Please take the time in the coming days to honor your kids for their hard work and diligent effort. They have had many wonderful experiences this year. The cycle of the school year always leaves us with an opportunity in the early days of June to recognize accomplishment and celebrate the fact that learning, like the seasons, has a life cycle of engagement followed by reflection, keeping us ever reminded that learning is life long.

My thanks to all the valued families and volunteers who participated in our most successful PTO International Fair ever. After my turn on the dunk tank in the early minutes of the event, I got a sampling of the amazing spectrum of crafted treats that were on offer from 26 of our 64 countries. What a great day that was enjoyed by all in attendance. Thank you, PTO!! All we can say is, “Brilliant!!!”

And Happy Children’s Day! It’s June 1 and today is being celebrated around the world as the day we honor children. It may be that this date first inspired the International Children’s Day many years ago. First proclaimed in 1925 by the World Conference for the Well-being of Children, it was more formally recognized in 1954. It is currently recognized and formalized in 77 countries. My simple wish on this important day is that you take some extra time with your children to assure that they know their importance. It would be fun tonight if you gave your child a hug and told them it was a special one just for them and just for being a child. Because that is important, too!!

Newsletter – May 18

As we head into graduation on the weekend, let me offer my sincere congratulations to all the students and families that will be involved with us on Saturday. The act of Commencement is a pivotal moment in a student’s life ushering them into long considered career pathways. While some are still narrowing their path toward what they want to become, they all begin a journey this weekend that is similar to a choice of roads leading toward distant and unforeseen destinations. We are very proud of their accomplishments as they bring a close to this chapter of their lives.

On that note, it has been great seeing past graduates dropping in to visit in recent days. Exciting to hear about the first year of college and exhilarating when they share with us how AAS shaped them in preparation for that first year experience. I should note that Alumni in good standing are welcome on the AAS campus. We appreciate if you call ahead to the HS office to let them know that you are coming, and if you haven’t made advanced arrangements, please know that we will escort you to the High School Office to check-in with them (a trip down memory lane, right?). Please wear your visitor’s badge on campus if you don’t still have your alumni badge. As alumni, you should display a badge at all times, like parents and staff. We also ask that you not disrupt classrooms that are in session as we are still working hard in all other grades until June dismissal. But, you are always welcome! Contact my office if you have any questions or concerns.

On a final note, I just want to remind parents that you should always contact us if you receive information about possible student activity inside and outside of school that would be in conflict with our code of conduct, rules, and policies. We appreciate these notifications and do follow up on them. We are bound by policy to provide for confidentiality in matters of this nature and, as we discussed in forums last year, we will inform the parents of all information received regarding their son or daughter, even when the school does not have sufficient evidence nor authority to take disciplinary action. If we do have sufficient evidence, the school will take action as needed and prescribed by policy. But, we all agreed in our discussions last year and previously, that the school has limited influence bound by our campus perimeter. Therefore, information and dialog is our most important weapon against the influences of drugs and alcohol. As always, we expect and appreciate your partnership in this area and our collective responsibility for protecting the privacy and confidentiality rights of all involved.

Newsletter – October 21, 2015

We’re heading off to our first week-long break of the school year, and I’m hopeful that you have plans to enjoy some family time and refresh/relax in preparation for a busy period in November and December as we get ready for the holidays.

We are beginning the annual process of assessing our staffing needs for 2016-2017.  Although it is still early in the year, we will soon be asking staff to consider the extension of their contracts into next year and beyond.  This schedule is typical in global education, and the nature of international schools is that we see turnover rates that are higher than might be expected in a domestic school of similar size and stature.  It was announced at this week’s PTO General Meeting that we do often consider members of the community for inclusion in our recruiting process.  If you are a qualified teacher and would consider working at the Anglo-American School, we ask that you look at our employment site for potential positions of interest.

Finally, MAP results (Grades 2-10) are out to students and families, and I want to emphasize that the nature of these tests should be taken in the context of a student’s overall profile.  The MAP test is a standardized measure and can only go so far in painting a picture of the spectrum of talents a child shows on a daily basis in the classroom. (Click here to read more.) Similarly, our 1st quarter progress reports provide another window into student progress early in the year and is the best opportunity to reflect and set goals for the remainder of the year.  Our balanced approach to using this information, along with other measures and student self-assessment, provides a comprehensive understanding of personalized learning needs.  As noted at the PTO meeting, it is important to reach out to teachers and administrators for answers to your questions immediately and as they emerge.  Your partnership, as always, is expected and appreciated.

Hopefully, you got a chance to see the MS Drama production of “The Giver” in our Bolshoi Theatre this week.  With this newsletter, you have one last opportunity on Thursday for their closing performance at 4:00 pm.  Our MS cast and crew are very proud of their accomplishment, and I can think of no greater validation of this than to fill the theatre on closing night.  See you all there!!

Victory Day 2015

Appropriate at this time of year to share some thoughts about the upcoming Victory Day recognition that has been a tradition at AAS for a number of years. As in the past, we will welcome special guests, local veterans, for this remembrance.  This is particularly poignant given that this is the 70th anniversary of the signing of documents that signaled the end of World War II. CLICK HERE for a short one page summary of our school focus for this event and my thanks to AAS Russian teachers for their contributions to these general guidelines of the main idea behind our recognition and the associated messages.

It’s important to remind everyone of our adopted identity statement that provides critical subtext to our mission and vision and was an important part of our strategic planning in 2011:

The Anglo-American School of Moscow is an international learning community that is enriched by the local Russian culture and strengthened by the unique experiences and synergistic engagement of its students, teachers, and parents.

As you can imagine, this year brings greater challenges to this holiday given the current political climate. That means that caution is suggested in the context of the coming days. While we will likely experience the usual delays relative to traffic, there will also be another tone to the week ahead that could be challenging for us. There will be many opinions on both sides of the issues and many see this holiday as an opportunity to raise these points of view with some emphasis. As evidence of this, we have seen world leaders unfortunately cancel their participation in the events hosted here in Moscow, despite the milestone year and their active participation in prior years.

This year, we are reminding ourselves of the diversity of our community and seeking to respect the associated diverse points of view. It is our most important responsibility to provide a learning environment free from coercion and full of open dialog on all the world issues we confront — both as spectators and participants. We will encourage the aspect of our school culture that enhances the precept from our mission statement of “respect self and others”. We will be particularly aware of parent needs in this regard as concerns are expressed about children and developmentally appropriate levels of involvement in the issues associated with a complicated set of competing ideas.

As always, we encourage partnership and feedback on how we address this and other issues that we encounter together as a diverse community. You can contact me or any member of the administrative team though the usual channels.

Parent Partnership II – Responding to your needs…

We had another wonderful forum for our Parent Partnership theme.  We had a wonderful group of parents, great presenters and some good conversation about the topics important to us and our children.  We decided that providing both the video and the slide show was the best way to get this content to a larger audience.  Please let us know what you think via the comment section below or via the anonymous comment link below the slides.  Suggest you watch the video with the slides side-by-side.  You can generally follow along with the presentation.  Other links below to some of the resources.

Note:  I made a correction to the slideshow and need to inform you that there was a typo in my reporting of the FCD data.  I read the data as “never” and wanted to use this data to make the point that we still had areas of concern.  In fact, the word is “ever” – therefore the data should have read:

The percentage of students who have ever used alcohol, or other drugs before coming to, or during a school event, decreased from 8% to 2% from 2010 to 2014.

Therefore, this is another point of improvement, not a trend of concern as I originally reported.  I was accurate that all forms of substance were included in this question.  FCD will be better able to review and reflect on their data when they visit.  My apologies for the mistake.

You can also leave anonymous comments at the following link:

http://surveys.aas.ru/index.php?sid=57952&lang=en

The book that Fiona mentioned:  http://www.amazon.com/Teenagers-Alcohol-Drugs-Really-about/dp/1741756804 

Graduation Speech 2014

To all of our special guests, faculty, administrators, parents, friends, and family members – we welcome your pride and presence as we celebrate this, our 20th commencement exercises.

I offer my deepest gratitude to Ambassador Myler for his words today. The Anglo-American School of Moscow values our sense of community and your participation here validates our collective and collaborative commitment to the students seated before us. Thank you!

To all of our dignitaries from our supporting embassies, I thank you for your presence and continued support of this important institution. Without you, this school would not exist, and we hold most dear our commitment to excellence in order to serve your interests and those of our diverse and vibrant community.

Kate, you brought an important message to this class of travelers. Your words inspire us as the journey begins anew and I thank you for guiding us to a successful launch.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also thank Daniel for his words to all of our high school students yesterday at the annual Awards Assembly. You gave us wonderful insight into your class through the humor surrounding cherished memories, poignant and engaging for all of us in attendance.

In a few words and a couple of quotes, I plan to tie some thoughts together to bring us quickly to that moment where you will stand before us and take those few final steps to the instance of greatest importance here today. The hand-off will be completed with both brevity and significance, punctuating this portion of a life that has so far been committed to living, learning, and becoming.

And you have learned much. More than a decade of education has included a critical foundation of skills upon which you will soon build your profession. Not only did you learn what you needed to know, but you also learned how to learn. I would suggest that you will find that learning is seldom complete.

Our teachers know that their greatest joy emerges when students become independent learners capable of capturing new insight without intervention. They take great pride in getting you to this level of accomplishment and the faculty, counselors, and administration seated before you here today are some of the best I have ever known at achieving this. You see in their faces the tremendous pride that they feel, having brought you to this moment, and they will shed tears of joy today because of their affection for the students that they now know so well.

I should note that the Anglo-American School can not accept total credit for all of the students that sit upon this stage. We know as an international community we must confess that many have had other schooling experiences before joining us here in Moscow. Further, we should admit that some have stayed with us for a time, left for a bit, and then returned after other experiences in different settings. It is our strength that we embrace this diversity and a unique constancy of change and transition. But, we have a few exceptions here today that I simply must recognize:

*Pre-K – Grade 12 continuously and is only the second student in our history to go from start to finish.

This is a capable and talented class. They have demonstrated great accomplishment and testament to their achievement is successful placement in a wide range of colleges and universities around the world. These honors were realized through diligent effort and an added ability to capture their passions in words and actions while seeking their next path in life. They impressed recruiters from around the world with their preparation, beliefs, and potential.

I value this class for the unique way in which they demonstrate a commitment to living life to the fullest. On the stage before you are writers, poets, actors, musicians, and vocalists. They practice and perform in every corner of the school and I value the talent and passion that fills our halls.

I also sense that there are strong relationships seated before you that will bind this class now and in the future like no other. I believe that these friendships will stand the test of time. I suggest to you that this is critically important to your future, that you find opportunities to build strong and loving relationships. Hold on to the bonds of friendship as they connect us to common purpose and help us see the path to tolerance and peace.

This class has also shown compassion for others in unique measure. The number of projects associated with reaching beyond the boundary of the school gate has increased significantly. Too many to list here, the spectrum includes saving animals, feeding the hungry, helping communities to recover from disaster, building schools and homes, delivering books, embracing and supporting cancer patients, and the list goes on. During their time here, these students have learned about the importance of a life filled with the enrichment of service to others. They have been generous with their time and resources and there are many smiles of gratitude around the globe as a direct result of their efforts.

So, now, the couple of quotes that I promised at the outset:

I think you all know that my background includes cherished time as a Kindergarten teacher. With that in mind and reminiscent of a Robert Fulghum styled approach, I offer the following of my own as summary, and things that you already know:

In Life…
Learn more than you teach,
Love more than you hate,
Give more than you receive, and
Always seek to become more than you are.

But, how to achieve this in life is best captured through words shared by the new student body president elected on Thursday, Alex Botashev. After two days of work with a large group of adults helping us consider the next steps of our strategic plan, Alex shared this quote from the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche:

You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.

It is my fervent hope that you find a vibrant and rewarding pathway through life and that you tap into your internal chaos, passionately seeking to share your brilliance with us all. I’m absolutely confident that you have the skills and talents for this task.

My congratulations to you all!

Working on assessment @ AAS

Teachers spent the day honing their skills on assessment during the first of our PD sessions for the 2013-2104 school year. I was impressed with the way we dug deeper into our standards and the degree to which we unpacked the learning targets in our work together.

What was particularly powerful was the interaction across subject area boundaries in the morning. As one teacher pointed out, it was powerful to have others outside their discipline reflect on their understanding of learning targets. That objectivity helps us to uncover things we often take for granted. The CASL materials are well adopted in many schools around the world and help us to focus on the clarity we bring to students and the details of how our assessments align with our unpacking of the standards into learning targets.

Stiggins, Chappius, Chappius, and Arter teamed up to provide the definitive guide to bridging between curriculum and classroom practice.  Understanding the formative side of assessment is critical to our work in personalized learning and leads us done the path of achieving our mission and vision.

Teachers dedicated themselves at all levels to weaving these practices into their classrooms in the coming days.  Our facilitator, Natalie Bolton, led us on this journey and guided teachers in critical conversations about our practices.  Natalie comes to us from the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL) and brings a strong instructional background to her interest in large-scale assessments, formative assessment, and standards-based education reform.

She continues with us this year as a key consultant on establishing practice and will return throughout the year on the following schedule:

Monday, September 30 – Thursday, October 3 (All Faculty PD on Thursday)

Monday, January 27 – Friday, January 31, 2014

Monday, March 3 – Thursday, March 6 (All Faculty PD on Thursday)

Monday, April 28 – Friday, May 2

We are thankful for Natalie and the many staff members that contribute to our work in all divisions in providing leadership on this critical goal. The work continues in earnest to assure that students receive both a guaranteed and viable curriculum and a personalized approach that is rich in formative feedback.

Graduation Speech 2013