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Inside: Director!s and Principal!s letters Middle School Trip Week Nurse!s & Counselor's Corner Grade 4 Update Sporting News SHARK The American International School of Rotterdam October 2010 Middle School Trip Week We don!t usually like to hang about...

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The American International School of Rotterdam's school magazine.

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Inside:

• Director!s and Principal!s letters

• Middle School Trip Week

• Nurse!s & Counselor's Corner

• Grade 4 Update

• Sporting News SHARKThe American International School of Rotterdam

October 2010

Middle School Trip WeekWe don!t usually like to hang about...

The AISR accepts no responsibility for the community announcements, services and items advertised.

If you have an article you would like to publish in the Shark, please send it to :

[email protected]

The deadline for submissions is Monday 15th November.

To Advertise here contact:

[email protected]

or Tel + 31 (0)10 422 5351

DUTCH BEGINNERS CLASS OFFERED AT AISR

Monday!s from 9am till 11am, starting on Monday the 20th of

September

My name is Arjan Blokland and I offer a Dutch beginners class at

AISR. The course focuses on practical language skills. The course

has been designed for people with no or almost no knowledge of

Dutch.

The course consists of 12 lessons. The first lesson will be held on

the 20th of September.

The minimum number of participants will be four and the maximum

will be nine. The prices of the classes are between " 15,- and "

24,- per class, depending on the number of students.

e-mail: [email protected]

or telephone: 06-41585013.

Languages

Would you like to improve your English ?Now is a great time to start studying in small friendly groups of

adults with English teacher, Susannah Tomlinson.

“Why not give it a go?”

More details are available at reception, or contact Susannah via

email: [email protected]

or telephone: 040-8428486

Monthly Expat Drinks"@ Cafe Engels (in front of Central Station)

Open from 18:00 to 23:00hrs

If you would like an invitation to this get together or any of the

future events, please join us on Facebook:

#www.engels.nl/internationals and subscribe to:

#www.meetup.com/INTERNATIONALS-in-rotterdam

We look forward to welcoming you all.

Expat Socials - Internationals In Rotterdam

“Hands to help and hearts to care”

Do you need to talk to someone to express your difficulties and

challenges with raising your child?

Katherine Fortier, an educational and child psychologist, will lead

the parents group.

“...an opportunity to discuss their concerns and develop strategies

to help their children and manage their own stress.”

For further information or to register, Please email

[email protected] or call Rubina Anis on mobile

06-52072084.

Therapy and Personal Development

Culture

BALLET CLASSES:For ages 3 and up in the AISR building. The classes will be taught by Sue Manville who trained at The Royal Academy of Dance in London. Sue has 20 years experience of ballet teaching and choreography, in the United States, UK, Australia, Greece, Spain and Brazil.

If interested, please email Sue Manville at [email protected] stating your child’s age.

GUITAR LESSONS:Private Guitar Lessons, after school at AISR or at home. Please contact [email protected] or visit www.bobhamilton.net more info. All ages and styles, flexible scheduling for both students and parents!

Email: [email protected]

Services

Treasured memories? Old or damaged photos restored:I can repair most images to a high level of presentation and provide a digital image and photo-print of the restored image. If interested please email me, David Blackburn.

Email: [email protected]

Co

mm

un

ity A

nn

ou

ncem

en

ts A

nd

Cla

ssifi

ed

s

11

LIFE COACHING – MIND AND BODY INC.With my skills, I can help you:

• UNDERSTAND YOURSELF BETTER!#

• USE YOUR INHERENT SKILLS MORE EFFECTIVELY#

• CONTROL YOUR WEIGHT AND STAY FIT IN A NATURAL WAY#

• UNDERSTAND YOUR CHILDREN#BETTER

• ULTIMATELY LEARN THAT JOY IS WITHIN YOU

SPECIAL NEEDS TUTORING for Children

• Gifted and Talented (including underachieving gifted), ADD and ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Behavior Management, Asperger's, Autism, Down's Syndrome, Fine Motor Skills.

• HELP AND SUPPORT FOR PARENTS of children with Special Needs

PLEASE CONTACT ME, SANDRA, @EMAIL: [email protected]: 06-16593856.

Sandra

B.A. Psychology, M.A.

English Literature, M.S.

Special Education (USA).

For John Keats, Autumn was the season of “mists and

mellow fruitfulness”.

For us, it continues to be a time of busyness, dark mornings, colds and coughs!

It has been another energetic month, culminating this week in two days of parent

conferences and Halloween celebrations. Thank you for continuing to support us

(and, of course, your children!s education) by turning out to these events. Thanks

also to those teachers who were pioneering a new kind of “student-led” conference

this time. This was a very interesting initiative in communication and we appreciate

the positive feedback we have received. We are interested in all kinds of feedback,

however, so do please let us know what you thought of this different way of reporting

on how your children are learning. In this way, we can develop our dialogue with you

even further.

The Strategy Group which has been working on long-term plans for the school, is, at

last, close to being able to present its proposals, first to the Board of Trustees and

then, following approval, to the wider school community. Please look out for further

information on how these announcements will take place.

Finally, thanks to Shelly Moseley and Julie Hartig who have nobly stepped up to take

on the roles of PTSA Chair and Vice Chair. It is terrific that these two ladies have

decided to take on this vital role in coordinating school community activities. They

have already shared some of their ideas for this year with me and we look forward

not only to some familiar and well-loved events but also some very interesting new

ventures.

Enjoy Halloween and the review of this past month!s activities in our Shark today.

Graham GambleDirector Away Games Coming Up....

Please check the Athletics page on the AISR website ical for future scheduled games:

http://www.aisr.nl/athletics/

Athletes of the Week...

EXPLANATION OF THE RECOGNITION: Each week AISR coaches select a student/athlete that has shown outstanding achievement in one or more of the following:Leadership, Sportsmanship, Skill Improvement, Outstanding Play at Games, Excellence in Practice, Concern for fellow Teammates, Encouraging Others, and other efforts deserving recognition. This person can be chosen from any of the SHARK Teams.

From

the

Direct

or

Gra

ham

Gam

ble

From the DirectorGraham Gamble

Sport

ing N

ews

1 10

October 18th - 22nd, 2010.

Anna is in her second year of playing JV Volleyball. This year

she has improved so much that she now does not have any

weak parts of her play. Her hustle, concentration and

consequent self-confidence is noticeable on the court.

Anna!s receiving and spiking and all-around good play has

been deciding factors towards the team!s recent success.

Way to go Anna!

October 4th - 9th, 2010.

Varsity Soccer goalkeeper Nick is playing in his first soccer season

ever and is playing in the most difficult position on the field. #Nick

has worked hard to improve not only his goal keeping skills but

also his fitness levels. # Because of Nick's great work ethic and

dedication to improvement, the whole team has increased

confidence. #Recently the Sharks played two games, and despite

being very ill, Nick played in both games. #This slowed Nick down a

bit, but he never stopped trying and gave the team everything he

had. Way to go Nick!

October 25th - 29th, 2010.

Raquel is member of the U12 Volleyball Team and is working hard at

every practice to improve her skills. She gets more and more

confidence and plays more aggressive at the net and is a good at

motivating her team mates.At the recent home game against ISA, she

said before the game that one of the team goals for that game should

be "believe". The Sharks supporters surely believed in the team as

they saw some impressive series of winning serves ending with the

Sharks winning all 5 sets. Way to go Raquel!

This has been a very busy week for Elementary

students and teachers.

It started on Monday with Photo Day – everyone looked very smart. On Tuesday we

celebrated UN Day – the students came to school dressed in their national costume and it

was very moving to see the pride on their faces as they walked in the UN Parade. On

Wednesday and Thursday, parent teacher conferences took place. Thank you for taking the

time to come and talk to the teachers about your child!s progress.

It is so important to maintain a strong communication between home and school in order to

ensure the best possible support for your child. The first parent-teacher conference of the

school year provides a great opportunity for you and your child's teacher to share insights

and information about her/him. At this meeting, you can develop a relationship with the

teacher and present yourself as a team player in your child's education. If you did not get a

chance to meet with all the specialist teachers, please do contact the individual teacher and

make an appointment to see them at a convenient time.

We had a celebration of another kind on Friday – Halloween. The students from JSR joined

our student!s classroom parties and the traditional Halloween Parade. Many thanks to

Justin Wah, who, once again, did a great job as MC for the afternoon and to Ruud

Temminck for providing the appropriate music and special effects!

On Wednesday, November 24th, the annual Thanksgiving lunch will take place. There will

be a short Thanksgiving Performance by all the students prior to lunch being served. This

will be in the Gym and will start at 10:15. Details regarding each class!s lunch time will go

out in the November issue of The Shark.$ $

Have a lovely weekend,

Sincerely,Anne-Marie Blitz

SHARKS WIN BIG!

From the Elementary PrincipalAnne - Marie Blitz

From

the

Ele

ment

ary

Pri

ncip

al A

nne -

Mari

e B

litz

29

NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC DEPT.

The last 3 weeks of the soccer and volleyball season are upon us as the teams prepare for the 8 and 10

school NECIS Tournaments in Luxembourg for middle school and Amsterdam for high school, November

11th -13th.

Parents interested in finding out more about the tournaments can go to the official

FALL tournament sites at:

http://sites.google.com/site/necissite/

AISR Fall Awards Evening - November 18th

November 18th, starting at 6 PM is the AISR Fall Awards Evening. This is an event all team members

and hopefully their parents attend. After a banquet with food parents provide, the coaches will make

speeches and give out awards. Everyone leaves the evening with an award.

Basketball Season starts Nov. 22, so all students in grades 5-12 interested in joining will need to get

their try-out forms in soon.

Get the full coaches report and more photos from AISR's Athletic Website.

http://www.aisr.nl/athletics/fall_sports/fall_sports.php

Sporting NewsRob Zeilstra

Sport

s - R

ob Z

eils

tra

Home game against ISA26.10.2010SHARKS WIN BIG 5-0!

In their first home game of the season

against ISA, the whole team played

very strong at the service line and

ALL the players managed to get at

least 2 winning consecutive serves.

The Sharks concentrated on playing

aggressive at the net and this worked

very well.

All 5 sets got won and I guess that all

the supporters were quite fascinated

by this performance.

Go Sharks!Coach Meyers

Please don’t forget that the clocks

“fall-back” one hour this weekend!

Middle School - Trip Week

Important reminder to all parents:

Any member of the community (students, parents, child-minders, staff) showing a

fever of 38°C (100.4°F) or above with or without any of the following symptoms

MUST be kept at home and is not allowed at AISR for a minimum of 24 hours after

the symptoms have disappeared without medication.

Nurse’s CornerLaurence Chambers

If your child is unwell and unable to come to school,

please contact me at:

[email protected]

010 422 5351. Laurence ChambersLaurenc

e

• A sudden cough• Headache• Tiredness• Chills• Aching muscles

• Limb or joint pain

• Diarrhea or upset stomach

• Sore throat

• Runny nose• Sneezing• Loss of appetite

Mid

dle

Sch

ool - T

rip W

eek

3 8

We have entered the second quarter of our school year and many of our

students are noticing that their courses are becoming more academically

demanding. It is our job as adults to help students manage the stress they may

be feeling. Ignoring stress won!t make it go away. As a parent, there a few things you can help

your child do to cope:

• Help our child break up larger tasks into smaller, manageable bits

• Work out extra energy through physical activity

• Spend some quiet time listening to music, drawing, or reading a book

• Talk to someone they trust

• Ask for help

Sometimes a student will try to avoid homework or even school all together, but this doesn!t solve

the problem and often leads to a greater deficit to make up. If your child is having difficulty coping

with stress, please let us know. There are things we can do to help!

As always, feel free to contact me at any time by phone or email ([email protected]).

Kate Driver

School Counselor

Counselor’s CornerKate Driver

Coun

selo

r’s

Corn

er

The Middle School classes went on a

camping trip to the Ardennes in

Belgium during the week of September

13th to the 16th, the. The students

had a packed, fun-filled week of

outdoor activities hosted by Mountain

Network. Our guides (Edwin and

Merij) were great in guiding the

students and giving instructions while

always placing safety as a top priority

for all.

Upon our arrival in Dinant, the students were separated into two groups for the

week!s activities. Our first activities were rock climbing and abseiling. All of our

students stepped up and did their best at climbing to the top and abseiling down

from the cliff. Emma and Joseph proved themselves to be excellent rock climbers,

and Bethany, Hyeong-gyun, and Goohyun were great as belayers on the ground,

sending up encouragement. Meanwhile, Laura, Byron, Siri, and many others

pushed themselves to abseil down the cliff.

Day 2!s activities began with team building

exercises and archery. All of the students

made a group effort in completing the

challenges. They put their minds together to

ensure they could get medicine from a

canyon for their injured mate, make it through

a minefield, and cross a sticky spider web.

While one group did team activities, the other

group put their archery skills to the test. Matt

and Yebin were standouts in archery.

Once again, many of us had to overcome a fear of heights, zipping off a cliff at high

speeds or climbing up a treacherous mountainside. We will not forget Chloe's

earsplitting zip line scream! Kunyao and Jaret confronted the zip-line with no fear.

Jisoo, Kate, and Sophie's positive attitudes helped get everyone up the mountain.

Alexander stepped up to be at the rear of the group to ensure all of his group

mates made it up the mountainside safely. Asli and Jiwon proved they are great

climbers.

Nur

se’s

Corn

er

Kate Driver and Josué Gutiérrez

Welcome to the Library! My name is Melissa van Ringelesteijn and I!m delighted to

be the Elementary Teaching Librarian. With my energy and passion, I!m excited to

bring my six years of teaching experience (4 of which were at AISR), and Master!s in

International Multicultural Education into building valuable lessons at the Library.

Your children are quite busy during Library. Some of the things that we have been

doing are; reading picture books (both printed and online), learning informational

skills, giving video book recommendations, navigating AISR!s %Kids Grolier Online

Encyclopedia! (Grade 3 to 5), putting on puppet theatre and enjoying books in our

cozy new and expanded reading area.

Though taking books out of the library is not mandatory, it is highly encouraged!

Please help your child remember to bring their books back during their scheduled

library time. Of course, you are also welcome to come and enjoy the library at your

leisure.

We have a new sign up sheet for students Grade 1 to 5 who would like to come to

the library during lunch recess on Mondays or Thursdays.

Happy Reading!!!

Mrs. van Ringelesteijn

[email protected]

The PTSA.

From the Library...Melissa van Ringelesteijn and Maria Teresa Sorondo de Lara

47

From

the

Lib

rary

We Have New Leadership for the PTSA!

Now we would like to invite you!

Bring your ideas, excitement, and talents...

The P

TSA

WE NEED YOU!

Would you like to come to the Library as a volunteer just an hour a week?...Just send an e-mail to [email protected] indicating which day of the week and what time suits you best.

Maria Teresa Sorondo de Lara

Wednesday Morning

November 3rd at 8:30

In the Cafeteria

In our first meeting we will be planning this year!s events and

finalizing the details for the many festivities coming in the next few

weeks.

Hope to see you there!Shelly Moseley and Julie Hartig

Come Join U

s!

Day 3!s activities started out by separating the students into 5 groups.

Each group had to engineer a raft using logs, rope and inner tubes

and test their rafts in the cold river. Before hitting the water, Raquel,

Doohyung, and Seonghyuk proved they are fast on their feet in a

game of Apples and Eggs. After completing the raft test, students

enjoyed tubing down the small, but fast man made waterfall. Milou

and Daniel, to name a few had a little too much fun and did not want

to get out of the water. The students later went on a 5k hike to a

ropes course. The course had a few suspension bridges at different

heights. Walking across these bridges was arduous for all of us.

Next, the students went on an obstacle course that was lengthy and tiring. Gabi, in an amazing display of

strength, did a one-armed pull-up to untangle herself and clip on to a new line. Aymann and Nico carefully

crossed the highest suspension bridge with encouragement from Maddie, Yeon Jae, and Marianne on the other

side. After 3 days of activities and camping, we all slept well the

final night of our adventure.

Day 4!s activities took us the town of Dinant. There we were given

an informative guided tour of the Citadel full of information about

the importance of the Maas River and the battles in the area. The

students displayed great patience and excellent behavior

throughout the tour. After the tour, the students were given some

free time to explore the town square and purchase chocolate and

souvenirs. Shortly after, we were picked up by our charter bus and

headed back to Rotterdam.

In Math we are

solving word problems that have to

do with rotation and revolution. That helps

us understand the significance of time and

the importance of patterns. This way

students can appreciate math as a method

to find answers and explain the processes

in our every day life.

It is wonderful to see how open and willing the

fourth graders are. What helps them the most in

their academic development is their spirit!

Grade 4 classroom is a magical place.

Friendship, loyalty, honesty, and caring are being

valued and appreciated on a very high level. We

put a lot of effort and patience into

understanding each

other and being there for each other. This makes

the days in school enjoyable and the fourth graders

are always ready to give their maximum!

The philosophy of the fourth grade classroom is

summed up in a Latin proverb: “Non scholae sed

vitae discimus”, and that means – We are learning

not for school, but for life…

Aleksandra Mandi&Grade 4 Class Update...

Gra

de 4

Update

Gra

de 5

Update

5 6

“ It is no exaggeration to say that humankind is stardust, since the iron in our

blood, the calcium in our bones and all the other heavy metals in our bodies

originated in the explosion of a supernova, from which our Solar System and,

finally, ourselves have evolved”. (Michael Shara, astronomer)

After a very successful first quarter and

a well deserved fall break, Grade 4 is

ready for new challenges and new

adventures!

In the second quarter we are going to

explore the secrets of universe and our Solar

System. To launch the new IPC unit “Our Place in Space”, we

visited the Sonnenborgh Museum in Utrecht.

This field trip has been a very successful

introduction and a great source of inspiration

for the fourth graders. Observing sun spots,

meteorites, learning about birth and death of

stars has awakened their curiosity, and the

best is yet to come!

There are so many questions to be answered,

and in order to do that we are working on our

vocabulary, too. Our language unit “Astronauts”

has given us the tools to explain and discuss the views and share ideas

about our place in space. We are learning about the difference between

abstract and concrete, endless and limited, desired and realistic.

In Math we are

solving word problems that have to

do with rotation and revolution. That helps

us understand the significance of time and

the importance of patterns. This way

students can appreciate math as a method

to find answers and explain the processes

in our every day life.

It is wonderful to see how open and willing the

fourth graders are. What helps them the most in

their academic development is their spirit!

Grade 4 classroom is a magical place.

Friendship, loyalty, honesty, and caring are being

valued and appreciated on a very high level. We

put a lot of effort and patience into

understanding each

other and being there for each other. This makes

the days in school enjoyable and the fourth graders

are always ready to give their maximum!

The philosophy of the fourth grade classroom is

summed up in a Latin proverb: “Non scholae sed

vitae discimus”, and that means – We are learning

not for school, but for life…

Aleksandra Mandi&Grade 4 Class Update...

Gra

de 4

Update

Gra

de 5

Update

5 6

“ It is no exaggeration to say that humankind is stardust, since the iron in our

blood, the calcium in our bones and all the other heavy metals in our bodies

originated in the explosion of a supernova, from which our Solar System and,

finally, ourselves have evolved”. (Michael Shara, astronomer)

After a very successful first quarter and

a well deserved fall break, Grade 4 is

ready for new challenges and new

adventures!

In the second quarter we are going to

explore the secrets of universe and our Solar

System. To launch the new IPC unit “Our Place in Space”, we

visited the Sonnenborgh Museum in Utrecht.

This field trip has been a very successful

introduction and a great source of inspiration

for the fourth graders. Observing sun spots,

meteorites, learning about birth and death of

stars has awakened their curiosity, and the

best is yet to come!

There are so many questions to be answered,

and in order to do that we are working on our

vocabulary, too. Our language unit “Astronauts”

has given us the tools to explain and discuss the views and share ideas

about our place in space. We are learning about the difference between

abstract and concrete, endless and limited, desired and realistic.

Welcome to the Library! My name is Melissa van Ringelesteijn and I!m delighted to

be the Elementary Teaching Librarian. With my energy and passion, I!m excited to

bring my six years of teaching experience (4 of which were at AISR), and Master!s in

International Multicultural Education into building valuable lessons at the Library.

Your children are quite busy during Library. Some of the things that we have been

doing are; reading picture books (both printed and online), learning informational

skills, giving video book recommendations, navigating AISR!s %Kids Grolier Online

Encyclopedia! (Grade 3 to 5), putting on puppet theatre and enjoying books in our

cozy new and expanded reading area.

Though taking books out of the library is not mandatory, it is highly encouraged!

Please help your child remember to bring their books back during their scheduled

library time. Of course, you are also welcome to come and enjoy the library at your

leisure.

We have a new sign up sheet for students Grade 1 to 5 who would like to come to

the library during lunch recess on Mondays or Thursdays.

Happy Reading!!!

Mrs. van Ringelesteijn

[email protected]

The PTSA.

From the Library...Melissa van Ringelesteijn and Maria Teresa Sorondo de Lara

47

From

the

Lib

rary

We Have New Leadership for the PTSA!

Now we would like to invite you!

Bring your ideas, excitement, and talents...

The P

TSA

WE NEED YOU!

Would you like to come to the Library as a volunteer just an hour a week?...Just send an e-mail to [email protected] indicating which day of the week and what time suits you best.

Maria Teresa Sorondo de Lara

Wednesday Morning

November 3rd at 8:30

In the Cafeteria

In our first meeting we will be planning this year!s events and

finalizing the details for the many festivities coming in the next few

weeks.

Hope to see you there!Shelly Moseley and Julie Hartig

Come Join U

s!

Day 3!s activities started out by separating the students into 5 groups.

Each group had to engineer a raft using logs, rope and inner tubes

and test their rafts in the cold river. Before hitting the water, Raquel,

Doohyung, and Seonghyuk proved they are fast on their feet in a

game of Apples and Eggs. After completing the raft test, students

enjoyed tubing down the small, but fast man made waterfall. Milou

and Daniel, to name a few had a little too much fun and did not want

to get out of the water. The students later went on a 5k hike to a

ropes course. The course had a few suspension bridges at different

heights. Walking across these bridges was arduous for all of us.

Next, the students went on an obstacle course that was lengthy and tiring. Gabi, in an amazing display of

strength, did a one-armed pull-up to untangle herself and clip on to a new line. Aymann and Nico carefully

crossed the highest suspension bridge with encouragement from Maddie, Yeon Jae, and Marianne on the other

side. After 3 days of activities and camping, we all slept well the

final night of our adventure.

Day 4!s activities took us the town of Dinant. There we were given

an informative guided tour of the Citadel full of information about

the importance of the Maas River and the battles in the area. The

students displayed great patience and excellent behavior

throughout the tour. After the tour, the students were given some

free time to explore the town square and purchase chocolate and

souvenirs. Shortly after, we were picked up by our charter bus and

headed back to Rotterdam.

Middle School - Trip Week

Important reminder to all parents:

Any member of the community (students, parents, child-minders, staff) showing a

fever of 38°C (100.4°F) or above with or without any of the following symptoms

MUST be kept at home and is not allowed at AISR for a minimum of 24 hours after

the symptoms have disappeared without medication.

Nurse’s CornerLaurence Chambers

If your child is unwell and unable to come to school,

please contact me at:

[email protected]

010 422 5351. Laurence Chambers

• A sudden cough• Headache• Tiredness• Chills• Aching muscles

• Limb or joint pain

• Diarrhea or upset stomach

• Sore throat

• Runny nose• Sneezing• Loss of appetite

Mid

dle

Sch

ool - T

rip W

eek

3 8

We have entered the second quarter of our school year and many of our

students are noticing that their courses are becoming more academically

demanding. It is our job as adults to help students manage the stress they may

be feeling. Ignoring stress won!t make it go away. As a parent, there a few things you can help

your child do to cope:

• Help our child break up larger tasks into smaller, manageable bits

• Work out extra energy through physical activity

• Spend some quiet time listening to music, drawing, or reading a book

• Talk to someone they trust

• Ask for help

Sometimes a student will try to avoid homework or even school all together, but this doesn!t solve

the problem and often leads to a greater deficit to make up. If your child is having difficulty coping

with stress, please let us know. There are things we can do to help!

As always, feel free to contact me at any time by phone or email ([email protected]).

Kate Driver

School Counselor

Counselor’s CornerKate Driver

Coun

selo

r’s

Corn

er

The Middle School classes went on a

camping trip to the Ardennes in

Belgium during the week of September

13th to the 16th, the. The students

had a packed, fun-filled week of

outdoor activities hosted by Mountain

Network. Our guides (Edwin and

Merij) were great in guiding the

students and giving instructions while

always placing safety as a top priority

for all.

Upon our arrival in Dinant, the students were separated into two groups for the

week!s activities. Our first activities were rock climbing and abseiling. All of our

students stepped up and did their best at climbing to the top and abseiling down

from the cliff. Emma and Joseph proved themselves to be excellent rock climbers,

and Bethany, Hyeong-gyun, and Goohyun were great as belayers on the ground,

sending up encouragement. Meanwhile, Laura, Byron, Siri, and many others

pushed themselves to abseil down the cliff.

Day 2!s activities began with team building

exercises and archery. All of the students

made a group effort in completing the

challenges. They put their minds together to

ensure they could get medicine from a

canyon for their injured mate, make it through

a minefield, and cross a sticky spider web.

While one group did team activities, the other

group put their archery skills to the test. Matt

and Yebin were standouts in archery.

Once again, many of us had to overcome a fear of heights, zipping off a cliff at high

speeds or climbing up a treacherous mountainside. We will not forget Chloe's

earsplitting zip line scream! Kunyao and Jaret confronted the zip-line with no fear.

Jisoo, Kate, and Sophie's positive attitudes helped get everyone up the mountain.

Alexander stepped up to be at the rear of the group to ensure all of his group

mates made it up the mountainside safely. Asli and Jiwon proved they are great

climbers.

Nur

se’s

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Kate Driver and Josué Gutiérrez

This has been a very busy week for Elementary

students and teachers.

It started on Monday with Photo Day – everyone looked very smart. On Tuesday we

celebrated UN Day – the students came to school dressed in their national costume and it

was very moving to see the pride on their faces as they walked in the UN Parade. On

Wednesday and Thursday, parent teacher conferences took place. Thank you for taking the

time to come and talk to the teachers about your child!s progress.

It is so important to maintain a strong communication between home and school in order to

ensure the best possible support for your child. The first parent-teacher conference of the

school year provides a great opportunity for you and your child's teacher to share insights

and information about her/him. At this meeting, you can develop a relationship with the

teacher and present yourself as a team player in your child's education. If you did not get a

chance to meet with all the specialist teachers, please do contact the individual teacher and

make an appointment to see them at a convenient time.

We had a celebration of another kind on Friday – Halloween. The students from JSR joined

our student!s classroom parties and the traditional Halloween Parade. Many thanks to

Justin Wah, who, once again, did a great job as MC for the afternoon and to Ruud

Temminck for providing the appropriate music and special effects!

On Wednesday, November 24th, the annual Thanksgiving lunch will take place. There will

be a short Thanksgiving Performance by all the students prior to lunch being served. This

will be in the Gym and will start at 10:15. Details regarding each class!s lunch time will go

out in the November issue of The Shark.$ $

Have a lovely weekend,

Sincerely,Anne-Marie Blitz

SHARKS WIN BIG!

From the Elementary PrincipalAnne - Marie Blitz

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NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC DEPT.

The last 3 weeks of the soccer and volleyball season are upon us as the teams prepare for the 8 and 10

school NECIS Tournaments in Luxembourg for middle school and Amsterdam for high school, November

11th -13th.

Parents interested in finding out more about the tournaments can go to the official

FALL tournament sites at:

http://sites.google.com/site/necissite/

AISR Fall Awards Evening - November 18th

November 18th, starting at 6 PM is the AISR Fall Awards Evening. This is an event all team members

and hopefully their parents attend. After a banquet with food parents provide, the coaches will make

speeches and give out awards. Everyone leaves the evening with an award.

Basketball Season starts Nov. 22, so all students in grades 5-12 interested in joining will need to get

their try-out forms in soon.

Get the full coaches report and more photos from AISR's Athletic Website.

http://www.aisr.nl/athletics/fall_sports/fall_sports.php

Sporting NewsRob Zeilstra

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Home game against ISA26.10.2010SHARKS WIN BIG 5-0!

In their first home game of the season

against ISA, the whole team played

very strong at the service line and

ALL the players managed to get at

least 2 winning consecutive serves.

The Sharks concentrated on playing

aggressive at the net and this worked

very well.

All 5 sets got won and I guess that all

the supporters were quite fascinated

by this performance.

Go Sharks!Coach Meyers

Please don’t forget that the clocks

“fall-back” one hour this weekend!

For John Keats, Autumn was the season of “mists and

mellow fruitfulness”.

For us, it continues to be a time of busyness, dark mornings, colds and coughs!

It has been another energetic month, culminating this week in two days of parent

conferences and Halloween celebrations. Thank you for continuing to support us

(and, of course, your children!s education) by turning out to these events. Thanks

also to those teachers who were pioneering a new kind of “student-led” conference

this time. This was a very interesting initiative in communication and we appreciate

the positive feedback we have received. We are interested in all kinds of feedback,

however, so do please let us know what you thought of this different way of reporting

on how your children are learning. In this way, we can develop our dialogue with you

even further.

The Strategy Group which has been working on long-term plans for the school, is, at

last, close to being able to present its proposals, first to the Board of Trustees and

then, following approval, to the wider school community. Please look out for further

information on how these announcements will take place.

Finally, thanks to Shelly Moseley and Julie Hartig who have nobly stepped up to take

on the roles of PTSA Chair and Vice Chair. It is terrific that these two ladies have

decided to take on this vital role in coordinating school community activities. They

have already shared some of their ideas for this year with me and we look forward

not only to some familiar and well-loved events but also some very interesting new

ventures.

Enjoy Halloween and the review of this past month!s activities in our Shark today.

Graham GambleDirector Away Games Coming Up....

Please check the Athletics page on the AISR website ical for future scheduled games:

http://www.aisr.nl/athletics/

Athletes of the Week...

EXPLANATION OF THE RECOGNITION: Each week AISR coaches select a student/athlete that has shown outstanding achievement in one or more of the following:Leadership, Sportsmanship, Skill Improvement, Outstanding Play at Games, Excellence in Practice, Concern for fellow Teammates, Encouraging Others, and other efforts deserving recognition. This person can be chosen from any of the SHARK Teams.

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From the DirectorGraham Gamble

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October 18th - 22nd, 2010.

Anna is in her second year of playing JV Volleyball. This year

she has improved so much that she now does not have any

weak parts of her play. Her hustle, concentration and

consequent self-confidence is noticeable on the court.

Anna!s receiving and spiking and all-around good play has

been deciding factors towards the team!s recent success.

Way to go Anna!

October 4th - 9th, 2010.

Varsity Soccer goalkeeper Nick is playing in his first soccer season

ever and is playing in the most difficult position on the field. #Nick

has worked hard to improve not only his goal keeping skills but

also his fitness levels. # Because of Nick's great work ethic and

dedication to improvement, the whole team has increased

confidence. #Recently the Sharks played two games, and despite

being very ill, Nick played in both games. #This slowed Nick down a

bit, but he never stopped trying and gave the team everything he

had. Way to go Nick!

October 25th - 29th, 2010.

Raquel is member of the U12 Volleyball Team and is working hard at

every practice to improve her skills. She gets more and more

confidence and plays more aggressive at the net and is a good at

motivating her team mates.At the recent home game against ISA, she

said before the game that one of the team goals for that game should

be "believe". The Sharks supporters surely believed in the team as

they saw some impressive series of winning serves ending with the

Sharks winning all 5 sets. Way to go Raquel!

Inside:

• Director!s and Principal!s letters

• Middle School Trip Week

• Nurse!s & Counselor's Corner

• Grade 4 Update

• Sporting News SHARKThe American International School of Rotterdam

October 2010

Middle School Trip WeekWe don!t usually like to hang about...

The AISR accepts no responsibility for the community announcements, services and items advertised.

If you have an article you would like to publish in the Shark, please send it to :

[email protected]

The deadline for submissions is Monday 15th November.

To Advertise here contact:

[email protected]

or Tel + 31 (0)10 422 5351

DUTCH BEGINNERS CLASS OFFERED AT AISR

Monday!s from 9am till 11am, starting on Monday the 20th of

September

My name is Arjan Blokland and I offer a Dutch beginners class at

AISR. The course focuses on practical language skills. The course

has been designed for people with no or almost no knowledge of

Dutch.

The course consists of 12 lessons. The first lesson will be held on

the 20th of September.

The minimum number of participants will be four and the maximum

will be nine. The prices of the classes are between " 15,- and "

24,- per class, depending on the number of students.

e-mail: [email protected]

or telephone: 06-41585013.

Languages

Would you like to improve your English ?Now is a great time to start studying in small friendly groups of

adults with English teacher, Susannah Tomlinson.

“Why not give it a go?”

More details are available at reception, or contact Susannah via

email: [email protected]

or telephone: 040-8428486

Monthly Expat Drinks"@ Cafe Engels (in front of Central Station)

Open from 18:00 to 23:00hrs

If you would like an invitation to this get together or any of the

future events, please join us on Facebook:

#www.engels.nl/internationals and subscribe to:

#www.meetup.com/INTERNATIONALS-in-rotterdam

We look forward to welcoming you all.

Expat Socials - Internationals In Rotterdam

“Hands to help and hearts to care”

Do you need to talk to someone to express your difficulties and

challenges with raising your child?

Katherine Fortier, an educational and child psychologist, will lead

the parents group.

“...an opportunity to discuss their concerns and develop strategies

to help their children and manage their own stress.”

For further information or to register, Please email

[email protected] or call Rubina Anis on mobile

06-52072084.

Therapy and Personal Development

Culture

BALLET CLASSES:For ages 3 and up in the AISR building. The classes will be taught by Sue Manville who trained at The Royal Academy of Dance in London. Sue has 20 years experience of ballet teaching and choreography, in the United States, UK, Australia, Greece, Spain and Brazil.

If interested, please email Sue Manville at [email protected] stating your child’s age.

GUITAR LESSONS:Private Guitar Lessons, after school at AISR or at home. Please contact [email protected] or visit www.bobhamilton.net more info. All ages and styles, flexible scheduling for both students and parents!

Email: [email protected]

Services

Treasured memories? Old or damaged photos restored:I can repair most images to a high level of presentation and provide a digital image and photo-print of the restored image. If interested please email me, David Blackburn.

Email: [email protected]

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LIFE COACHING – MIND AND BODY INC.With my skills, I can help you:

• UNDERSTAND YOURSELF BETTER!#

• USE YOUR INHERENT SKILLS MORE EFFECTIVELY#

• CONTROL YOUR WEIGHT AND STAY FIT IN A NATURAL WAY#

• UNDERSTAND YOUR CHILDREN#BETTER

• ULTIMATELY LEARN THAT JOY IS WITHIN YOU

SPECIAL NEEDS TUTORING for Children

• Gifted and Talented (including underachieving gifted), ADD and ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Behavior Management, Asperger's, Autism, Down's Syndrome, Fine Motor Skills.

• HELP AND SUPPORT FOR PARENTS of children with Special Needs

PLEASE CONTACT ME, SANDRA, @EMAIL: [email protected]: 06-16593856.

Sandra

B.A. Psychology, M.A.

English Literature, M.S.

Special Education (USA).