Elementary TimesNote from the DirectorThe Elementary School is off to a good start, and Principal Webb’s Letter will speak to that in good detail. At this start into 2012/13 I want to express my appreciation to the faculty, returning and new, for bringing to the many tasks of the start a strong work ethic, good team work, and an organized beginning for all students that includes three additional sections. The Elementary School is full, and the attitude has been “Let’s get on with it and be our best”an admirable esprit de corps”I also want to give a big thanks to the solid teamwork that has quickly come together between Principal Eric Webb and his Assistant Principal, Jennifer Stockbridge, and t he PYP /Curr i cu l um Coord i n a to r, Erin Machacek. It showed in the orientation meetings and in the effective start into the first days of school. It signifies a good year ahead!

Lots of new initiatives are being undertaken in the E lementar y School. Among our new faculty in Elementary is Ms. Kimberley Siwiec who I feel confident will bring an inclusive and highly supportive approach to counseling. Importantly, the new math program for which teacher’s received a full 5 day set of orientation training that is ongoing will further enhance the strength of our Math Program.  Erin Machacek just informed me today that it is off and running within a common schedule time.A lot in store at Elementary – come and see the teachers  in Action at the Back-to-School Night this coming Wednesday, September 19th...Dr. Gunther BrandtDirector

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

SEPTEMBER

17 - 20 Accreditation VIsit by CIS/MSA Team

19 Back to School Night for Elementary, 5:30 - 8:00 (see Principal’s Letter)

OCTOBER

1 First day of After School Activities for fall semester

17 PYP Night (parents invited to learn about IB Primary Years Program)

23 Progress reports sent home with students

VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

Universa l American School provides a cha l leng ing , inquir y-based American

and internat iona l educat ion that empowers students

to be car ing indiv idua ls , cr i t ica l th inkers , and respons ib le g loba l

c i t izens

We have had a great start to the 2012-2013 school year, and we expect for the year to only get better. Over 720 beautiful children, ages 3 to 12, are the focus every day for over 55 teachers and over 40 support staff. As Principal, I am proud to lead this outstanding school and to be part of the Universal American School organization. This year I am fortunate to be directly supported by two new leaders, Assistant Principal Jennifer Stockbr idge and Curr icu lum / PYP Coordinator Erin Machacek. Jennifer and Erin proved themselves as outstanding teachers and are now proving their leadership capabilities every day in their new roles.

We are looking forward to sharing some of plans for this year in the school and in your child’s classroom at Back to School Night.

The Back to School Night for the Elementary is on Wednesday, September 19:- 5:30 – 7:00 Representatives of school/

related organizations available in the Ground Floor “Market” (a chance to find out more about music lessons, After School Activities, transportation, the school health clinic, and much more)

- 6:00 Meeting for parents (please do not bring students) of PreKG-Grade 1 students in Secondary Library6:15 Parents go to their child’s classroom for presentation from teacher and/or visit specialists in “open house” format

- 6:50 End of Back to School Night for parents of PreKG-Grade 1 students

- 7:00 Meet ing for parents (please do not bring students) of Grade 2-6 students in Secondary Library

- 7:15 Parents go to t h e i r c h i l d ’ s classroom for presentation from teacher and/or visit specialists in “open house” format

- 7:50 End of Back to School Night for parents of Grade 2-6 students

Back to School Night is a great chance for you to…• hear from your child’s teacher(s) about

the school year ahead,• sign up for a parent-teacher conference to

be held in November,• look around the school,• connect with the Parent Teacher

Organization (PTO), Girl Scouts, Fine Arts Booster Club, etc.,

• h ave que s t i on s a n swered abou t Transportation, the Nurse’s Office, Security, etc., and/or

• talk with Director, Principal, Assistant Principal, Curriculum Coordinator, Counselors, or Specialists.

Back to School Night is- not for students and - not for one-to-one conferences with

teachers about students.

Looking forward to seeing you Wednesday!Eric WebbElementary Principal

Note from the Principal

Kim Siwiec

Counselor

American

Leslie Blough

KG1 Teacher

American

Elizabeth Tyrell

KG1 Teacher

Irish

Gillian King

KG2 Teacher

Canadian

Andrew Shutsa

Grade 5 Teacher

Canadian

Bradley McIsaac

Grade 3 Teacher

Canadian

Lorraine Dalton

Grade 1 Teacher

Irish

Natalie Kahl

Grade 3 Teacher

Canadian

ELEMENTARY TIMES VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1

Meet the New UAS Teachers(Well, half of them. The other half will be in the October issue of Elementary Times.)

Note from the Assistant PrincipalGreetings UAS Elementary Parents,

Please allow me to introduce, or reintroduce, myself. My name is Jennifer Stockbridge and I am the new Elementary Assistant Principal. Many of you know me from last year as a sixth grade teacher, or from two and three years ago as an upper elementary music teacher. With this diverse teaching background I am truly excited about my new role and it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2012-2013 School Year.

Mr. Webb and I, along with our new curriculum coordinator, Erin Machacek, have been back at UAS since mid-August. During that time we held a week of new teacher orientation, followed by a week of all-faculty orientation. These two weeks allowed us to work together as a staff in preparation for initiatives new to the elementary school this year. One of which is the adoption of a new Math resource, Everyday Math. During orientation, we were fortunate enough to have an expert Math consultant from Everyday Math provide three days of intense training. This training coupled with the new curriculum materials is already evident in our daily Math instruction and we anticipate seeing more great gains in Math this year.

During the first weeks of school, I have enjoyed being in classrooms, observing outstanding teaching and learning, and getting to know our vibrant and enthusiastic students. I look forward to meeting many of you at our Back to School Night this week. Please don’t hesitate to stop by my office (2113) or email if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to a fantastic year!

Thank you,

Jennifer StockbridgeElementary Assistant Principaljstockbridge@uasdubai.ae

ELEMENTARY TIMES VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1

Welcome to a new school year at Universal American School. My name is Erin Machacek, and I am the PYP and Curriculum Coordinator at UAS. This is my fifth year as part of the UAS Teaching Staff, and I’m very excited to work with the teachers, students, and parents this year. UAS was authorized to implement the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) in 2010, and became an IB World School that same year. At UAS we provide a challenging and inquiry-based American and international education that empowers students to be caring individuals, critical thinkers, and responsible global citizens.

What is the Primary Years Programme?

The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is an international curriculum framework that spans from Pre-K to Grade 6. This framework is built upon essential elements which help to shape the overall learning experiences for your child. These essential elements help to guide learning for teachers and students. At UAS, PYP reflects not only what we do, but who we are. Central to the PYP is the conceptual lens of curriculum, which helps to drive teaching and learning of essential skills and enduring understandings.

The Essential Elements of the PYP include:

• Transdisciplinary Themes

• Concepts

• Skills

• Learner Profile and Attitudes

• Action

These essential elements combine to form Units of Inquiry at each grade level and promote coherence within the overall programme.

Units of Inquiry

Teachers and students are beginning their first UOI (units of inquiry) this week. We are inquiring into many different themes and units falling under the categories of who we are, where we are in place and time, how we express ourselves, how the world works, how we organize ourselves, and sharing the planet. You will learn more about your child’s grade level units of inquiry and the overall grade level curriculum at Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 19th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. I look forward to seeing you then.

Yours truly,

Erin Machacek, PYP Curriculum Coordinator

PYP News

Ms. Kim’s Counseling CornerA Brief Introduction….

Congratulations UAS parents and students! You have made it through the first full week of school and are well on your way to a successful school year! My name is Kim Siwiec. I am the Elementary School Counselor (PreK thru 6th Grade). I am new to the UAS school community, but bring with me over 5 years of school counseling experience in Brevard County, Florida. I am thrilled to be at UAS and look forward to working with the parents, students and teachers to ensure every child has a successful year. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any help to you or your child throughout the school year, or stop by my office to simply say “Hello”(located directly next to the Elementary Main Office)! ksiwiec@uasdubai.ae +971 232 5222 Ext. 2124

A Few Tips for Parents to Help Ensure a Successful Adjustment Back to School

Several parents have stopped by my office this week seeking support and suggestions regarding their child’s adjustment to their school routine. Regardless of how much you prepared for the start of school over the summer months, the first few weeks of school are a BIG adjustment for both students and parents. Students are adjusting to the structured school day, reconnecting with friends, absorbing new subject material, and learning new procedures and policies. It’s an exciting time, but a lot for our kids to take in all at once!

While I know parents are anxious to get a set schedule established (homework time, after school activity time, bed time etc.), please keep in mind that this too will be a work in progress and may require some adjustment time and flexibility as your child adapts to the changes.

Here are a few tips that will help to ensure a positive adjustment:

• Make sure your child is getting enough sleep. They may require an earlier bedtime than normal in the first few weeks of school, as their bodies and brains adjust to their new schedules.

• Ensure your child is eating healthy foods. Foods high in sugar can cause disruption in sleep patterns, and moods.

• Allow for “play time” in the evenings when your child arrives home from school. Play releases endorphins, which will help to ensure a good night sleep, enhancing concentration and focus throughout the day.

• Homework should be used as an opportunity for your child to show you what he has learned and should not become a “chore”!

Finally, as a parent, find time to take care of yourself! You are adjusting to a new routine as well. If you do not take care of yourself, you will not be able to take care of your child!

Remember…EVERY adjustment takes TIME :) !!

In the past week Grade 3-6 students have had their first library lessons. Younger grades will start having their library lessons in the coming week. I hope students have been enjoying the books they borrowed and are enthusiastic about the year ahead and the library in particular!

Making good choices is something I emphasize in the library. I try to ensure that the books students choose are at the right reading and interest level but this can sometimes be a challenge because of the limited time we have. There may also be certain kinds of books you prefer your child to be reading over others. If this is the case, you are welcome to come-in and borrow for your child under your own name.

Pre-K and KG1 borrow one book and all other grades borrow two. A third book (especially cartoons, joke books) can be borrowed as a reward for principled behaviour in the library. Parents usually find that five or so books is enough if they are borrowing themselves.

It would be great if you could also help us encourage good habits in these areas:

Ø How to handle books carefully Ø How to keep books in a safe placeØ How to return books to the library on time

Fines are not charged for late books, but if a book is damaged or lost, a notice will be printed and sent home. Payment is made at Accounts on the ground floor and the receipt brought up to the library (by you or your child).

Please let me know of any concerns or comments you have via email or by coming in and seeing me in the library (after classes at 3:10pm onwards is usually best).

I hope this month’s reading strategy gives you some ideas about how to help develop reading skills and a love of reading with your child.

ELEMENTARY TIMES VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1

Library News

SEPTEMBER READING STRATEGY

Two of the most essential factors in improving a child’s reading levels are time and access to plentiful resources.

The time to practice reading skills taught in the classroom and a variety of text types at the right reading level are essential in developing a child’s reading proficiency. In the Elementary library we are lucky to have a great variety of text types including a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books for all reading levels. Research has shown that time spent practicing reading material that is too difficult will not lead to higher student comprehension or overall reading achievement. To determine whether children can successfully read the material, each child can be taught the “rule of five”.

“THE RULE OF FIVE”This is an easy self-selection strategy for children from the middle of first grade on to learn and use. A book is opened to the middle. The child tries to read a page. If they encounter fewer than five words (other than names) that are unknown, the child probably can comprehend the text. If more than five words cause problems to the reader, the text is too difficult.

As the reading abilities of students spread out in elementary grades, it becomes necessary to provide more and more reading material and more and more levels of difficulty. This is where the library comes into its own! The challenge is ensuring that students are making the right reading choices for their reading level. Because of the number of students passing through the library weekly, teaching students to make the right choices independently is essential.

Reading to children is still vitally important. It supports their love of storytelling and allows them to hear the sounds and vocabulary that they will develop as their reading skills increase. Reading proficiency is only half the story (forgive the pun). Fostering natural curiosity by reading stories as well as non-fiction with children is the other essential ingredient in supporting a child’s reading skills. Again, this comes down to making the time to read with them and taking interest in what they think about what they are reading.

I hope this gives you some ideas about how to help support your child’s reading skills.

Tania McPhillamy

UAS Elementary Librarian

ELEMENTARY TIMES VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1

ELEMENTARY TIMES VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1

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DIS/UAS VOCAL & INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAMME September 2012 - June 2013

This academic year our specialist teachers will be offering the following music tuition: Voice, Piano, Violin, Drums, Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar, Bass guitar, Music Theory. Other instruments may be available upon request. Private Lessons and Group Classes30-minutes individual lessons are taught once a week. Students are also required to attend an assigned weekly group class in addition to their private lessons. Group classes are conducted in a positive, non-competitive atmosphere where children are encouraged to interact with each other, perform and evaluate performance of others. The lessons are scheduled on rotational basis during school hours (8 am - 3 pm), so that students will not miss the same class more than once. Senior School students at DIS (IB1-IB2) and UAS (Grades 11-12) may take their lessons during free periods or lunch time.

Music Tuition FeeJoining fee for each new student AED 90 (includes practise diary)30-minutes individual lesson AED 12030-minutes group lesson AED 80Note: refundable deposit of AED 300 is required for each new student which will be deducted from the Term 3 fee.

Music tuition fees should be paid in full to the accounts department. Students who are enrolled during mid-term are expected to pay for the remainder of the term plus the deposit and joining fee before commencing lessons.

Commitment to the Programme and Cancellation FeeStudents are required to take part in the extensive music activity programme of the school (choir, music concerts, etc.) It is expected that students will make a commitment to continue their lessons for the full period of enrolment till middle of June. It is possible to withdraw a child from the programme during a term but fees for the current term remain. Special arrangements for partial reimbursement can be made for students leaving the school. Please inform our Vocal & Instrumental Music Programme Coordinator directly if circumstances require cancellation of lessons for any reason.

Absence from scheduled lessonsNotification of absence due to illness should be sent before 8 am to Ms Olga Zui, Vocal & Instrumental Music Programme Coordinator, at ozui@disdubai.ae. Notification must be received at least 24 hours in advance for school field trips, excursions or other matters where absence from school is organised ahead of time. Every effort will be made to reschedule a lesson where notification of absence from school has been given in advance. It will not be possible to make up missed lessons where notification is not given in time for the teacher to be notified before the teaching day begins. Fees for all scheduled lessons remain and will not be refunded in the case of absence.

Instrument RentalFor beginning students some instruments are available for rent from DIS & UAS, although it is preferable for students to provide their own instrument. Please seek the advice of the Instrumental and Vocal Programme Music Coordinator before purchasing an instrument. The cost of instrument rental is AED 150 per term. Fees from rental charges go towards the general maintenance of the school instrument collection and the provision of ensemble resources. A rented instrument will be released to the student upon receipt of the Instrument Rental Agreement form.

ABRSM, Trinity/Guildhall examinationWe prepare students for ABRSM and Trinity external music exams. Although it’s recommended for everyone to take the exams, it must be understood that a commitment to regular practice is required. An instrumental teacher will make the final decision regarding a student’s readiness for the exam.

CAS Credit for Senior School students Senior School students who are enrolled in the Music Programme can obtain Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) credits for each semester of enrolment. Students need to inform their respective CAS Coordinators to ensure credit for these activities is accounted.

Should you wish to enrol your child into the Programme please submit completed Application Form to your child's teacher or email Ms Olga Zui ozui@disdubai.ae, Vocal & Instrumental Music Programme Coordinator.

ELEMENTARY TIMES VOLUME 8 ISSUE 1

DIS/UAS VOCAL & INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAMMEAPPLICATION FORM

PLEASE FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FORM USING CAPITAL LETTERS

Name: _________________________________________________ School: DIS / UAS Gender: Male / Female First Name

Name: _________________________________________________ Year/Grade: ______ Family Name

ü Instrument preference: __________________________________________________________

Has your child had any previous Music Tuition? Give details-level/grade

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Parent Contact details:

Parent/Guardian Name: ______________________________________________________________________

Phone Number: _______________________________(home) __________________________________(mobile)

Email address: ____________________________________________________________________________

Parent Signature: _____________________________________ Date: ______________________________

DIS/UAS OFFICE USE ONLY

Individual lessons _________ x 120 AED = ____________ AEDGroup lessons _________ x 80 AED = ____________ AEDJoining fee (includes practise diary) = 90 AEDDeposit = 300 AEDBalance Due: Term 1____________Term 2____________Term 3____________Total ___________

Thank you for your interest in our Vocal & Instrumental Music Programme.

When making a choice to join the programme, students and parents should be aware of the commitment involved in learning an instrument especially with time and practice.

Ms Olga ZuiVocal & Instrumental Music Programme CoordinatorMobile: 050 3507017 Telephone: 04 2325552 ext. 2679 E-mail: ozui@disdubai.ae