March 19-24; Wellness Week March 24 (Saturday) 60s-70s Night for parents, faculty, staff & friends.

MS DraMa

ISSUE #6 MARCH 2012

Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl

Produced by the High School Desktop Publishing students with the support of AOSR Staff & Parents.

Inside This Issue:

Falcon FlyerAOSR

PAGE 2: Elementary NewsPAGE 5: Announcements & NewsPAGE 6: Elementary Grade Level NewsPage 9, 13: Special RecognitionsPage 10,11: High School News

NEXT ISSUE: HS Drama, RISA Art Show, Wellness Week and more

A huge round of applause to a cast of nearly 30 MS students for their stunning performance of Revolting Rhymes. One of the most interesting aspects of this play was the student involvement in writing the actual script and their ongoing contribution of creative ideas throughout the process. An additional recognition to Mr. Sheehan and Ms. Davey for their excellent work and dedication to this project.

February was the month for designing Valentines and masks, as well as integrating art activities in other areas of the curriculum.

Upper grades have been reviewing basic art concepts; symmetry, complimentary colors, shading, and repetition.

Grade 5 is completing a still life watercolor. They will soon be designing sets for the 5th grade play, and then start on making coiled pottery.

Grade 4 has completed a

Vincent Van Gogh style painting, and will soon model with clay to make the Roman She-Wolf.

Grade 3 is learning about ancient Greek pottery, and will be etching figures to represent a red figure pot. Next they will be modeling with clay to create a black figure pot.

All classes enjoyed creating valentines and whimsical carnival masks embellished with feathers, sequins, glitter, and pipe cleaners.

Elementary News

What’S happening in the eleMentary library?

an author viSit, poDcaStS anD neW bookS!

Elementary School Art News!

Adam Gidwitz, the talented children’s book author will visit on Tuesday, March 27th and will work with the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grades. Students will learn about the history of fairy tales and how one becomes an author. His book, A Tale Dark and Grimm is a rather funny and gory take on Grimm’s fairy tales. It is an ALA Notable book and a New York Times Editor’s Choice! You can get more information about Mr. Gidwitz at http://www.adamgidwitz.com/get-the-book.

2nd Grade Podcast! Did you know jaguars like to travel at night? Did you know Neanderthals were the first hominids to bury their dead? Using the theme “I learned it from a book,” Ms. Waite’s 2nd grade has been working hard on creating podcasts in conjunction with the library. Each student selected a subject they wanted to learn more about, found a book on it, read the book, wrote a short blurb about what they learned, recorded their script and created a multi-media visual display to go along with it. Some of the titles chosen by the students include Pablo Picasso, Early Man, To Dance, and The Universe. Keep an eye out for their awesome podcasts!

Bake Sale Success: The recent “Around the World” bake sale was an enormous success. We raised a whopping €493 which has been used to purchase 34 international books for our elementary library. Some of the titles include The Adventures of Mouse Deer Tales of Indonesia and Malaysia, The Complete Guide to Flags of the World , I am Muslim, P is for Pakistan, India, Mexico, Germany, France, Japan, Austrailia, Brazil, China, Canada, Kenya, England, and more! A big thank you to all the dedicated students, teachers and parents who worked diligently to pull this off.

Thanks to everyone who attended the Usborne Childrens’ book sale on March 9th. Usborne generously gave AOSR a percentage of the proceeds earned as credit for books. Be on the look out for 53 new titles such as Elephants, Volcanoes, 50 Soccer Skills, The Children’s World Cookbook and Counting Rhymes.

By: Ms. Phebe Cosetino

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Vincent Van Gogh style painting, and will soon model with clay to make the Roman She-Wolf.

Grade 3 is learning about ancient Greek pottery, and will be etching figures to represent a red figure pot. Next they will be modeling with clay to create a black figure pot.

All classes enjoyed creating valentines and whimsical carnival masks embellished with feathers, sequins, glitter, and pipe cleaners.

Whether you’ve been out of school for five years or 15, the thought of taking a test probably still makes your heart race and palms sweat. Now imagine what it’s like for your children. Today, with the No Child Left Behind Act in place, testing is more fre-quent and taken more seriously than ever before. Here are some ways to help your child shine when testing time comes.

Know your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Stay in contact with your child’s teacher during the year to see if there are any areas your child might need a little extra work on. Find out what you can do at home to help reinforce what students are learn-ing in the classroom and help your child feel at the top of his or her game when testing time comes.

Get them moving. Children know test-taking time is a big deal at their schools. And, whether they show it or not, most of them are feel-ing stressed about it. Doing something physical can help them let off steam. Whether it’s bike riding or playing tag, get them moving in a fun sport or physical activity.

But not too much. While working off a little pressure is great for kids, participating in organized sports during test week can actually add to the stress. If your child is in a competitive sports activity, cut back during test week.

Scale back the excitement. Although many kids enjoy relaxing by watching movies or playing video games, it’s important that they scale back on any high-energy programs during test week, particularly when it’s getting closer to their bedtime. They need quiet minds so they can relax and get a solid night’s sleep.

Bedtime is important. Endless studies have shown that Ameri-can schoolchildren get far too little sleep on the average night. You may be surprised to know that elementary and middle school children do the best on 10 hours of sleep. Kids who aren’t

thoroughly rested do more poorly on tests, so get them in bed early (making sure they’re not watching TV, if you allow it in their rooms).

Give them the fuel they need. Many families are so rushed in the mornings that breakfast is an afterthought. A toaster pastry and a bottle of water just don’t provide the energy your kids need to keep their minds and bodies functioning strongly until lunchtime. They need to have a complete breakfast every day of testing. Cut back the high-sugar cereals and pastries and make the time to have a healthier, more substantial breakfast.

Help them relax. People who are anxious about their perfor-mance on a test do worse than those who are relaxed—the anxiety actually hurts your children. Teach them a few tricks to use during the test. If they get stuck on a question, instead of frowning and con-centrating, teach them to smile for a few seconds. Their bod-ies will automatically get less tense. (Try it!) And help them learn how to take a nice, slow, relaxing breath in and out.

Practice makes perfect. Ask the teacher or principal if there are practice tests or worksheets your child can work on at home before the big day. These tests can help your children get used to how the questions are worded and how to make sure to fill in the test sheet bubble the right way before test day anxiety takes hold.

Let them know you believe in them. While it’s really important to let your children know that you believe in them and know that they’ll do well, it’s also key to make sure they understand you’re not judging them on what their test scores report. Certainly, they need to realize that it’s important to try their hardest and do their best, but they also need to know your love for them and respect for their abilities has nothing to do with what some computerized report says about their scores.

Test Preparation

RP 31:8

Report to Parents, written to serve elementary and middle-level principals, may be reproduced by National Association of Elementary School Principals members without permission. Current year back issues are available to members at www.naesp.org.

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Martin Luther King Day

What kinD of WorlD Do you Want?

By: Mr. Brian SheehanMS English/Drama Teacher

Teaching middle school is an art. It takes patience, imagination, creativity, energy, and a strong will.

In my years as an educator, I have come to the conclusion that teaching is also a gift. This was evident to me on January 20, 2012. Imagine a chilly afternoon, a multitude of grade school children pouring into the school gymnasium and settling in for the Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly. The assembly was designed to educate and inspire our youth about the life of an amazing man who helped shape the way we see the world. We focused on the life of Martin Luther King through the unifying forces of art, media, music, dance, and acting.

My nervous 7th graders took their seats and anxiously awaited their turn to present in the assembly. Our class decided to do a silent reenactment of the Rosa Parks bus incident. We asked a beautiful girl from South Africa to be our Rosa Parks. She quickly agreed and with a smile on her face dove into her role with pride and expectation. The twelve students that participated gave up part of their lunch break for five days to rehearse the five minute segment.

The gymnasium fell silent as we began.

We slowly piped in the haunting melody of “In the Deep” by Bird York. Six hundred people fell silent as our twelve students each grabbed a single chair and formed a bus. A bus. The bus driver took his seat. Rosa Parks entered the bus, recognizing the bus driver from previous unpleasant encounters, she reluctantly took her seat. Others joined the bus and one by one the passengers came in, no words, just the haunting melody. As the bus became full, the passengers began to get agitated. The bus stops. The second grouping of passengers arrives to discover that there are no empty seats. The bus driver stops the bus and crosses over to Rosa demanding that she abandon her seat. She refuses to move. The passengers on the bus react strongly and with aggression towards Rosa. The bus driver summons the police to escort Ms. Parks off the bus leading her to the police station to be booked for civil disobedience.

As our actress left the bus, she held up a sign that had only one word on it, the word “No”. The crowd noticed the sign and began to applaud. I looked at the audience and saw many people blinking back tears.. Blinking back my own tears, I glanced across the gymnasium and saw my 7th grade class in a new light. I knew that this would be a memory for them, a

memory that they could share with their own children, and so the cycle of tolerance begins.

In that moment, I was also reminded that words are often unnecessary. The silence of the actors and the reenactment provided an emotional glimpse of that fateful day in Montgomery, Alabama. The American Overseas School of Rome is a special place; it is a community that fosters equality and tolerance.

Several days later, the wonderful author Anne Sibley O’Brien visited with my 7th graders and shared her beautiful stories and works. She challenged the students to share their own stories and build their own memories. Through the love of literature and illustration, Ms. Sibley O’Brien inspired our young people to become writers and illustrators. She also challenged them to study the great peacemakers of our time, starting with Ghandi. The band “Five for Fighting” says it best in one of their hit songs.

” What kind of world do you want? Go and build it. History starts now.”

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On Saturday, February 11th, a group of AOSR teachers, led by parent Julie Long, volunteered at a Caritas soup kitchen.

Conservative figures calculate that there are more than 7,000 homeless people living on the streets in Rome and more than 17,000

throughout the country. 75% of those living on the streets are men and the highest concentration of homeless are currently living in the historical center of Rome.

Efforts like those at the Caritas soup kitchen reach out to those most in need in the city of Rome.

after School activitieS

ASA is off to a good start with several new activities: tumbling, badminton and beginners Cartoon Drawing.

We are very proud of the DJs, George U. and Leonardo E., who will be making their debut at the MS dance on Friday the 23rd of March that the HS-IB students are organizing as a fundraiser for the DREAMS project.

There are still a few places available in some activities, so please sign up to have fun.

Ms. Christine HoganASA Coordinatorchogan@aosr.org

SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITYAOSR TEACHERS & PARENTS VOLUNTEER

Call for Submissions to the Villa Voice

The wildly popular Villa Voice is accepting submissions of original writing and art to b e considered for publication in the spring 2012 edition!

We want to include as much student work as possible and are asking for your Middle School children’s submissions beginning now through the first part of April, 2011. Submissions should be original work which students have completed in class or independently. Written pieces should be in a “final copy” format, ready for publishing. Any genre is acceptable: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, graphic stories, or drama. Submissions may be emailed as an MSWord document attachment to cwieland@aosr.org with the memo line “Villa Voice.” No anonymous writing will be considered. If the piece is an artwork, it will need to be submitted in its original form, or a clear photo of the piece in jpeg format must be emailed to cwieland@aosr.org in place of the original. Original pieces will be returned to the students. Further photography of the art will be completed if necessary once pieces are selected. No anonymous art pieces will be considered.Submissions may be made in person to the advisor Mr. Ty Wieland, in Villa 7. AOSR teachers have already been asked to forward student writing and pictures of student artwork created at school during classes. Selection of pieces to be included in the magazine will be by a board of student editors and the advisor. We know there are many talented Middle School writers and artists whose work should be available to a wider audience! Please encourage your child to become a published author or artist in the Villa Voice!

Located near the Colosseum, the Caritas soup kitchen reaches out to the homeless population in Rome.

• MS Literary & Arts Magazine

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Mr. Craig Wieland MS English Teacher

Elementary Grade News

take a look at What’S happening in PRE-K

In kindergarten we have learned about solid geometric shapes this month. We now look around school and home searching for cones, cubes, spheres and more!

We celebrated the 100th day of school and reviewed all the learning we have done since the beginning of kindergarten, over 100 days ago!!

We also had our celebration of Dr. Seuss who continues to help us understand how rhyming works and how to use rhyming words to write funny stories. Most of us tasted our class-made green eggs and liked them so much we asked for a second helping.

We look forward to spring, finding out more about how things grow and change like chicks and plants.

KINDERGARTEN

We have been very busy in first grade during the past month! We celebrated both Carnevale and Valentine’s day. The children were excited about the 100th day of school and enjoyed sharing their 100’s day projects from home with their classmates. We also went on a field trip with the second graders to see a performance of the bilingual play, Jungle Rhythm. We are wrapping up our study of the Polar Habitats and getting ready to share our books with families and friends. We will then spend a few weeks investigating farm animals in preparation for our trip with the 5th grade to the farm. After that, we will begin studying the habitats of savannas and deserts.

Grade 1 Celebrates 100 Days!

Learning to recycle and cre-ate sculptures from recycled materials

Celebrating Carnevale

Creating Art Together!

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The students have enjoyed learning about the wooly mammoth, the saber-tooth tiger, and other animals of this time period. We will also be “cave painting”. This month we celebrated the 100th day of school, Dr. Suess’ birthday, and attended a field trip to a theater in Roma Centro with the 1st graders. Jungle

Rhythm was a wonderful performance resulting in laughter and big smiles! The 2nd graders will begin a Poetry Unit this month and have already started to write some of their own. Traditionally, the 2nd graders host all the dads with a special morning celebration for Father’s Day.

GRadE 3 To celebrate a man so great*The third grade made a dateTo read poems and stories and rhymes galore“Keep reading!” We said, “We want more and more!”

Dr. Seuss was born oh, way back when, And wrote children’s books again and again.The Cat in the Hat and the Sneetches you know, But what about the Oobleck and the Tough Coughs as he ploughs the dough?

We read so many we were filled with joyMy goodness! Readin’ is better than any toy! Readin’ here and readin’ thereWe’ll keep on readin’ everywhere!

So remember one and all,Whether you are big or whether you are smallA book is a treasure, and just so you’ll knowOh, the places you’ll go!

On March 2nd the third grade celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday by reading many of his fabulous books and stories and writing rhyming poems. Book Buddies then shared their favorites with their kindergarten partners.

GRADE 2FROM THE ICE AGE TO SPRING WEATHER!

The 2nd graders have had a wonderful time this month! We have been studying the Ice Age, and AOSR’s snow days brought this to life.

With the spring weather, we are looking forward to continuing our work in the AOSR Edible Garden. The 2nd graders have plots with fennel, potatoes, and various herbs. Happy Spring!

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With this in mind, 5th graders have been meeting with 1st graders already. We have a ‘Reading Buddies’ group and a ‘Farm Animal Project” group. 5th graders have been using their Macs to teach their 1st grade buddies how to do research, play ‘animal classification’ games and how to draw realistic animal pictures.We are still exploring fractions in math and our skills at building ‘math problem models’ are growing daily. The students are encouraged to explain how they solve problems with their peers and develop a multi-perspective approach to the subject.

We will be visiting the 3D Rewind Museum, the Forum and the Colosseum in April, so watch this space for photos and details.

Elementary Grade News

GRadE 55th grade and 1st grade are learning to make mozzarella and ricotta togther at the Salvucci farm. This is always a great learning experience and a wonderful chance to build community spirit.

Wellness Conference

SATURDAY MARCH 24TH MARYMOUNT INT’L SCHOOL

9:00 -17:30

Workshops in Italian & English Cost: 55 Euro. Sign up with Domenica!

BABYSITTING AVAILABLE for this event! Contact Elizabeth Esobar at: elisabeth.escobar@ambrit-rome.com by March 20th.

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On behalf of our school and community, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Nick D. (11th grade) and Levi F. (12th grade), and to congratulate them both on such an awesome achievement. Both scouts earned the award on February 9, 2012, and will receive their coveted awards from the National Headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America, at a ceremony in the near future. The award of the Eagle rank culminates nearly a decade of scouting for both of these fine students, and is a distinction few scouts achieve. Throughout their scouting careers, Nick and Levi distinguished themselves through

outstanding leadership and character, high personal achievement, a quest for knowledge, and dedicated service to their community and fellow scouts. These are traits that both Nick and Levi have exhibited here at AOSR, as well.One of the final requirements to achieve the BSA rank of Eagle is the completion of a substantial service project that benefits others. In the case of our two Eagle scouts, AOSR was the fortunate beneficiary of their thoughtful leadership and hard work. As many of you know, Nick designed and constructed an outdoor classroom, adjacent to the garden and tennis courts. Levi envisioned and led a

SPECIAL RECOGNITIONBY: MR. MARK BERGESON

ADVANCEMENTS CHAIR, TROOP 236 ROME

Congratulations! Ms. Chiara Costa (Secondary Physical Education)

Ms. Costa received a silver medal for her exemplary performance in the Italian Winter Championships for skeet shooting. The competition was part of the “tiro a volo” competition on the Valle Aniene range. During the day she shot 100 clay targets to place second behind a competitor who won the World Championship only last year.

AOSR is proud to announce that two of our students have earned the highest achievement awarded by the Boy Scouts of America’s - the Eagle rank. Duis autem vel eum school-wide campaign to

emphasize road safety and encourage seatbelt usage. Both of these Eagle projects required hours of fund-raising, coordination with school officials, and tireless initiative. As we celebrate the accomplishments of Levi and Nick, we are also appreciative of their contributions to our school, and thankful to all their teachers and fellow students who supported them along the road to Eagle. Indeed, all of our organizations and clubs are enabled by the leadership and energy of our students, and I hope you will join me in congratulating our two Eagles for exemplifying this attitude, on and off campus.

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Recycling is a common matter that environmental organizations discuss, but that means it is very crucial. To promote recycling programs in AOSR, GIN is planning to make new boxes so that every teacher can have the opportunity of gathering materials such as paper and batteries in their classrooms. The club hopes AOSR students and faculty will engage more in recycling through this project. Another project is that several GIN members are going to visit elementary students to present and talk about how recycling can protect the earth. GIN hopes the younger generation realizes the importance of global issues and recycling. With all the activities GIN has done so far, 8 GIN members are going to Luxembourg for the GIN conference in March 22-24. They have

the chance to listen to other schools’ themes and projects. They will also show what AOSR did so that other schools can implement their programs. We hope we can see more recognition of the significance of global issues at AOSR.

TIP: If you are wondering what you can do, GIN gives some tips on how we can protect our environment in daily life. Remember to…

• turn off the lights when you walk out of a room

• reuse leftover detergent by adding water (dishes will still be clean!!)

• lower the brightness of your computer

• unplug cords that are not being used • print papers on both sides (+ if you

misprinted something, use those papers as scrap paper DON’T THROW THEM AWAY)

• drive smoothly (DON’T overuse the brake)

• wash your face with cold water instead of hot water (it is also good for your skin)

• use shampoo with a size of a two euro coin (a huge amount of foam doesn’t mean your hair will be cleaner)

• place your car or motorcycle in a garage once a week (use your LEGS or a BICYCLE)

• wear more clothes instead of raising the thermostat at home (DON’T wear short sleeves and raise the temperature).

GIN

aoSr Global ISSueS NetWork

The main theme of the AOSR Global Issues Network this year is recyclingby: Jin K (grade 11)

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The boys basketball team came back from Germany with a 3rd place title! Coaches Phil and Harroo did a tremendous job putting the team together and managing the players the right way. The students played as a team from the beginning of the season to the end and this is why they were successful at the end.

On the other side, the girls basketball team played extremely well in Germany even though they did not bring back a trophy. The girls went to the finals with only 6 players and everybody gave 110% on the FLOOR at all times to overcome the shortage of bench players.

The cheerleaders improved a lot throughout the season and in Germany they were able to show the work of coaches Jane and Karena

who did a tremendous job improving the dance skills of the students.

The spring season has begun at AOSR and students have tried out for soccer and track and field. Soccer is a very popular sport in Italy and many students try out every year, this means that some of them do not make the team, but this year there is an option for them. The American Overseas School of Rome created a new track and field program that every student in high school is allowed to join. Therefore, if students did not make the soccer team they can move on to track and field. The program is also open to students in grades 7 and 8. Since track and field is a non contact sport eligible middle school students can participate in a high school sport by our league rules.

SPRING SPORTS SEASON BEGINS! BY: MR. MAX SQUARCIA

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

MARCH 2012

Congratulations! Boys & Girls Basketball

Our motto is WORK HARD, PLAY HARD! We want to give a special thanks to our Cheerleaders for yelling and working so hard at the games and cheerleading competition. We also thank the parents, and fans who supported us in Germany as well as our fans in Rome who supported our basketball teams all season. Congratulations European Basketball Championships 2012 Division 2, 3rd Place Men’s Division! It was a great season for both the boys and the girls. Go Falcons!

By: Mr. Phil DavisVarsity Basketball Coach

The boys soccer team will be coached by Gianluca and Marcus. Even though many seniors left last year, there are young students who are eager to demonstrate what they are all about.

The girls’ soccer team will be lead by coach Jackie. The girls are eager to start a new season with a new coach, who is the perfect candidate for this job. Besides being very experienced, Coach Jackie is also a great motivator and this is something that will make the girls realize how important it is to be part of a team.

Good luck to the boys and girls soccer teams and to the track and field team.

GO FALCONS!!!

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French Honor Society

FHS INductIoNAOSR French Honor Society received new members in our local chapter in a ceremony this month.

The aims of the FHS are to: · stimulate interest in the study of French· promote higher standards of scholarship· reward high scholastic attainments· create enthusiasm for an understanding of francophone culture and civilization· promote and perpetuate international friendship to reward efforts towards furthering solidarity in the French-speaking world.

The AOSR chapter was established in 2010. It is a purely honorary organization.

The general eligibility requirements set forth by the National Organization are that

1. Membership is based on scholarship in general and scholarship in French in particular

2. Membership is restricted to those actively engaged in the study of French in a secondary school

3. Candidates must be enrolled in at least the second semester of French II

The scholastic eligibility

requirements, also set forth by the National Organization are that:

1. Candidates must have maintained a cumulative average of 90% or higher in French at the time of selection

2. Candidates must have maintained an 80% cumulative average in all subjects, not including French.

Current FHS members: Syed H Lamberto L Dominic M Carmen P Sanjana S Silvia Z Brian B Madeline C Oliviero F Sheridan G

New Inductees:Olaf B Cécile D Veronica GMi Na KCaera L Isabella MAmbra Y Lisa ZSaewon PSeungwon P Neha PValentina W

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 Join us for a 60s and 70s Evening at AOSR!

Great Music & Dancing!

Saturday, March 24, 2012 19:30

Delicious Buffe

t

Dinner

Original Videos

and songs from

the 60s &70s

Purchase

your ticket

today!

€20,00

RSVP by Friday, March 16

to dlosani@aosr.org

Tel. 06.3343.8331

aluMni: boSton 2012

Villa Reception and StaffVilla Secretary: Ms. Manuela Ciocca 06-33438-300

Head of School: Dr. Beth Pfannl 06-33438-331Secretary: Ms. Domenica Losani 06-33438-331

Business Manager: Dr. Elisa Bruno 06-33438-338AdmissionsOfficer:Ms.SabineNeumann06-33438-311

Busing: Mr. Kieran Canter 06-33438-372Secondary School

Principal: Mr. Ken Kunin 06-33438-326Secretary: Ms. Anna Chiara Troisi 06-33438-326

Elementary SchoolPrincipal: Mr. Stephen Foster 06-33438-395Secretary: Ms. Joanne Hoberg 06-33438-395

Faculty & CoordinatorsPreK Coordinator: Ms. Amy Magazzu 06-33438-330ES Coordinator: Ms. Susan Prideaux 06-33438-350MS Coordinator: Ms. Sarah Ellyson 06-33438-336

AP/IB Coordinator: Ms. Belinda Fiochi 06-33438-337HS College Counselor: Mr. Ivan Hauck 06-33438-327

School Counselors: Ms. Elizabeth Escobar 06-33438-373Dr. Simona Reichmann 06-33438-373

Nurse: Ms. Jan Miller & Nancy Bergeson 06-33438-321After School Activities: Ms. Christine Hogan

Resource Room: Ms. Rene Ostapuk (ES) 06-33438-302Ms. Jacqueline Gallo (MS/HS) 06-33438-390

Athletics: Mr. Max Squarcia 06-33438-313

Contact Information

811 Via Cassia 00189 Rome, Italyhttp://www.aosr.org

Phone: (+39) 06.33438.300 Fax: (+39) 06.3326.2608

American Overseas School of Rome