Week Ahead: Aug. 20-24

So I can confirm that at 3AM you can get to Ton Son Nhat in 25 minutes and immigration and security in just another 10 minutes!  That’s kind of the only silver lining I could come up with for this early of a flight.  Well, that plus I can blog before I head off on my travels.

It really has been an amazing start to the year.  Though it may feel at times that we are scrambling behind the scenes, the water is smooth for our students and parents.  If you are noticing that any particular student is still really struggling with their transition, please alert Bonnie.  We want to really step in now that the vast majority are at least comfortable with where their classes are and how the rotation works.

Here is what’s up next week:

Monday, Aug. 20
Day 1, ABCD (Adv)
*Molly Out / Catriona on call

Tuesday, Aug. 21
Day 2, EFGH (Adv)
*Molly Out / Catriona on call
11-12 SST

Wednesday, Aug. 22
Day 3, BCDA (Adv)
Happy Birthday Vaughan Swart and Catriona Moran!
*Molly Out / Catriona on call
3:15-4:30 Divisional Mtg – final preparation for Curriculum Night

Thursday, Aug. 23
Day 4, FGHE (Adv)
9:30-11 Admin Mtg (Molly attends)
6-8:30 Curriculum Night

Friday, Aug. 24
Day 5, CDAB (Adv)
4-7pm PTA Blast! MS Movie Night

Saturday, Aug. 25
3-6pm Saigon International Teachers’ Social (First Ever), Saigon Outcast D2 (see below)

Upcoming (on the radar)

• Aug. 27, Season 1 ASAs Start
• Aug. 28-31, MS Student Photos (Hang will distribute schedule)
• Sept. 3, No School, Vietnamese National Day
• Sept. 8-9, CFG Institute

On Call Procedures:  While I’m out, Catriona Moran will be on call for MS.  Here is what to do if you find you need admin support:

Protocol for Admin Needs:

1. Faculty requests help from Hang/Bonnie 1st.  Hang/Bonnie will determine best route to address the problem and may refer faculty member to Catriona; Molly will also be alerted via message/email. 
2. If faculty can’t access Hang/Bonnie, then move to requesting help directly from Catriona.  Please email Hang/Bonnie/Molly as well to ensure all are informed of the situation.

Each day Hang sends me a daily summary email.  Things generally run very smoothly while I am out of the office.  However, we definitely want to be prepared.

Curriculum Night:  So excited to continue the positive start to the year with Curriculum Night. As we discussed at Wednesday’s meeting, this is a busy, information overload situation for parents as they visit 8 classes plus a WWW information session.

Saigon International Teacher’s Social, August 25– Come out and meet your international school teaching colleagues from around HCMC.  We connected D2 and D7 faculty last spring and now we are connecting you all.  This takes place at Saigon Outcast in D2 on Saturday, August 25 from 3-6pm.  Please RSVP here so we can get an idea for numbers and transportation.

Yearbook and PS Photos:  Coming soon!  Yearbook photos!  and yes, this means one more photo for our new hires (this makes about 42 I think).  All students and faculty will have their photo taken for the yearbook.  We will also be taking a second “fun” photo that will also be used in the yearbook.  This is a fun tradition that students are eager to continue.  Please check the schedule that Hang distributes to see if you are one of the lucky teachers to take students over (this is done by block, by grade to avoid duplication).  If you aren’t taking students over, you still need to make the trek to the bottom floor of Bldg C.  (and be sure to stop by and give some love to ITC while you are down there – they’ve done a lot this year!)

Upcoming Middle Level PD: A great opportunity for focused middle level PD is coming to S Korea in November.  We already have 2 middle school faculty ready to attend – and would love to send a few more as a team of 5-7.  It’s Nov. 10 and 11.  Though the seminar cost is higher than some, this quality of speaker on middle level education rarely comes to the region.  It’s a great opportunity!  Check in with Hang if you need a copy of the PD request form.