March meeting

Minutes of the Parents’ Council meeting of 5 March 2018

Grade	Type of Representative		Present at meeting 5 March 2018
1a	Parent	Evgenia Lynum
	Deputy	Kyle Depew	x
1b	Parent	Gobind Singh Gill	x
	Deputy	Birute Stankuniene
2a	Parent	Thilanka Madugodage
	Deputy	Dmitry Ilinskiy
2b	Parent	Derya Ongen	x
	Deputy	Birendra Kumar
3a	Parent	Philmar Middelthon
	Deputy	---
3b	Parent	Thrasyvoulos Gryparis
	Deputy	Anastasia Solomonova (Solomonova) Hole
4a	Parent	Kate Rushdy	x
	Deputy	Tara Tinholt
4b	Parent	Jennifer Fagan
	Head of PC	Anne Lise Kielland
	Deputy	Tessa Howell
5	Parent	Mette Reitz	x
	Deputy	Ragnhild Krøglid	x
6	Parent	Prashant Kanungo
	Deputy	Heidi Robertson
	Deputy	Frode Olsen
7	Parent	Cecilia Cantos	x
	Deputy	Ramesh Babu	x
8	Parent	Andrew Langridge	x
	Deputy	Elisabeth Olsen	x
9	Parent	Anne-Valérie Sickinghe	x
	Deputy	Mark Williams	x
	Principal	Robert Browne
	Deputy Principal	Mark Cringle	x

                                                  
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Update from the Deputy Principal

Norwegian

AIS has been striving to improve its Norwegian tuition. The school has employed an extra Norwegian teacher in a 50% position, to support low level students in grade 2 and native speakers in grade 3. Norwegian is taught by native Norwegians. Math teacher Marita Fagerheim teaches mathematics in Norwegian. However, when supply teachers are needed for Norwegian lessons, the school prioritizes teachers who know the students over teachers who are native speakers.

In Norway, reading is highly valued, and the school has adopted the Norwegian SOL (“strukturert observasjon av lesning”) approach to teaching. AIS also collaborates with Norwegian schools, and participates in the national tests (“Nasjonale Prøver”). New Norwegian books are being acquired for the AIS library.

While acquiring Norwegian skills might not be a priority for all AIS families, AIS students need to be able to continue their education in a Norwegian “videregående skole” after grade 10. The school therefore teaches around twice as many hours as is required by the IB programme.

Not all parents are able to help their children with Norwegian homework, but children should be able to do their homework on their own.

Dyslexia

AIS has engaged in a collaboration with Dysleksi Norge. However, there are some ideological differences. While DN believes that dyslexics should not be pushed to read, the school believes that all students need to be challenged. Dyslexics are not necessarily the worst readers and writers in standardized tests, and not all difficulties with reading and writing are due to dyslexia. Asker Kommune has also been involved in the school’s effort to help dyslexic students.

General

The school will be sending out a newsletter to all parents, with information on what AIS is doing.

2.                  improving safety for students crossing the main road

Post-poned to next meeting

3.                  Student Ball (6 April 2018)

The Student Ball committee (parent representatives from grades 8 and 9) updated the PC members on their progress.

2 DJ’s (students from St. Hallvard videregående skole musikklinje) will play music, there will be a chocolate fountain, and there will be a photographer, photo booth, and props. The Student Council will help with advertising the event, finding a theme, and finding activities.

Financially, the objective will be to break even, not raise money for the PC. A 150,- kr. entry price has already be announced on save-the-date posters in the school.

Personal invitations will be sent to students in grades 6-9. Parents from grades 6-9 will be requested to donate food, and parents from grades 8 and 9 will be requested to volunteer during the event via class representatives.

Students will be able sign up on a list, and pay for their ticket via the PC’s Vipps account.

4.                  Disco Night (Friday 13 April 2018)

Save the dates will be sent out soon, a theme for the party will be decided this week.

5.                  Meeting with the Student Council

Kate Rushdy met the SC, and received a wish list.

-        A small cafeteria

-        More with AIS logos to buy (e.g. t-shirts, pencils,…)

-        Bringing back the hot dog sale

-        Equipment for outside, such as a roof to stand under in rainy weather, picnic tables and benches, spaces for eating

-        Racks and drying machines for boots

The SC representatives would return to their grades for more suggestions.

The proposals for a cafeteria and hot dog sale could be followed up. Students could run the cafeteria like a tuck shop, and use earnings for e.g. school trips.

Next meeting: 9 April 2018, 15:40 hrs.