CAIS Thursday Flash

Upcoming Important Dates

Enrollment for 2011-12 School Year Begins
Thursday, January 27

Robotics Team Open House and Demo
Thursday, January 27

Flip Friday Begins
Friday, January 28

JV Girls Basketball Game
Friday, January 28

Spring Enrichment Classes Begin
Monday, January 31

Varsity Girls and Varsity Boys Basketball Games
Monday, January 31

JV Boys Basketball Game
Tuesday, February 1

Chinese New Year Mass Greeting
Wednesday, February 2

Grandparents Reception
Wednesday, February 2

No School, Chinese New Year
Thursday, February 3

Regular School Day
Friday, February 4

Please check our school calendar for details about upcoming events. The calendar is updated on a regular basis as events are created. Please check back regularly.

Asian Art Museum Docents Needed

Do you have a passion for Asian art and enjoy interacting with people of all ages and backgrounds? If so, then you might be interested in the Asian Art Museum's Docent Training Program, which will begin this August and continue through spring 2014.


Docents provide school age children and adults with a meaningful museum experience by leading them on tours through the galleries, and by providing information about art that illustrate connections across time and cultures.


Through the training program you will learn more about the museum's renowned collection of Asian art and the diverse cultures it represents from museum curators and other internationally recognized scholars of Asian art and history. You will also learn interactive touring techniques and other strategies for engaging with museum visitors.


Click here to learn more about the program and the application process. Applications are due by March 1, 2011.

Chinese New Year Classroom Activities

CAIS classrooms will be bustling with Chinese New Year activities during the week leading up to Mass Greeting as students learn about the traditions surrounding this important celebration.


Click here to download a complete classroom schedule of Chinese New Year activities.

We look forward to celebrating the Year of the Rabbit, year 4708 by Chinese calendar with all of our CAIS family at Mass Greeting on Wednesday, February 2 starting at 9:15 a.m. in the school gym.

Calling all Rock Stars!

Are you a member of an awesome band? Do you know how to make people get up from their seats and dance? We are looking for bands from our own community to get us moving on the dance floor at ShowCAIS 2011.

If you have a great band to share with the community, please contact Alexandra Boyle for more information. We are considering both past ShowCAIS bands and new talent.

ShowCAIS 2011 will take place on Saturday, May 7 at the Ritz-Carlton.

Ski Discounts for February Break and March!

In case you missed the message in your email inbox, we want to make sure you take advantage of these great deals that first and third grade parent, Amy Lui has negotiated with Northstar, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows during February break as well as the first weekend in March.


If you are thinking about hitting the slopes during the season check out the deals on our CAIS ski deal webpage here.

Deadline to sign up for these great deals is Tuesday, February 7. Check out the webpage and if any of the deals interest you, email Amy Lui and she will get back to you with details.

Who knows, maybe you'll bump into the cast of Star Wars like on the slopes!

Celebrating Black History Month and the Civil Rights Movement with CAIS Founding Parent and Civil Rights Activist Carol Ruth Silver

This coming Monday, January 31 CAIS eighth graders along with International High School students and the French American eighth grade class will have a joint assembly in honor of "We're Better Together: Civil Rights Black History Month."

The keynote speaker for the assembly is one of the founders of CAIS, Carol Ruth Silver. Long before CAIS, in June, 1961, she joined the Freedom Rides, a national movement that sought to integrate buses, trains and all interstate passenger travel, and to confront with non-violent action the ongoing segregation in the Southern United States. She was arrested in Jackson, Mississippi and was incarcerated for 40 days as a result of her activities as a Freedom Rider, including at Mississippi's notorious Parchman Penitentiary. From 1961-1964 as a student at the University of Chicago Law School, she recruited and sent legal interns to Mississippi and elsewhere in the South and produced research back-up for civil rights lawyers. She subsequently served three terms on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She will speak to students about her experiences in the Civil Rights movement.


As the first black female television journalist in the western United States, Belva Davis overcame the obstacles of racism and sexism, and helped change the face and focus of television news. Now she is sharing the story of her extraordinary life in her poignantly honest memoir, Never in My Wildest Dreams. A reporter for almost five decades, Davis is no stranger to adversity. Born to a fifteen-year-old Louisiana laundress during the Great Depression, and raised in the overcrowded projects of Oakland, California, Davis suffered abuse, battled rejection and persevered to achieve a career beyond her imagination. She has seen the world change in ways she never could have envisioned, from being verbally and physically attacked while reporting on the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco to witnessing the historic election of Barack Obama in 2008.


If you're interested in hearing more, all families are invited to join us at 9:15 am on Monday, January 31 in the school gym.

***Photo taken by Luis Delgado, parent of CAIS alumna.

Calling all Rock Stars!

Are you a member of an awesome band? Do you know how to make people get up from their seats and dance? We are looking for bands from our own community to get us moving on the dance floor at ShowCAIS 2011.

If you have a great band to share with the community, please contact Alexandra Boyle for more information. We are considering both past ShowCAIS bands and new talent.

ShowCAIS 2011 will take place on Saturday, May 7 at the Ritz-Carlton.

Salad Dressing Week at CAIS, Huh??

It may sound kind of nutty, but our ever-creative student government group has conceived Salad Dressing Week for all middle school students for the week of February 7-11.

Each day of the week will represent a different salad dressing. Please encourage your middle schooler to participate. We'll share the pictures with you in an upcoming Flash issue.

• Monday: Ranch (Western)
• Tuesday: Thousand Island (Caribbean)
• Wednesday: Caesar (toga/sandals
• Thursday: Blue Cheese (dress in the color blue)
• Friday: House (school colors)

Futsal Season Begins Next Month

Futsal season begins for all fifth through eighth grade students on Monday, February 28. This co-ed, fast paced indoor soccer style game is a popular sport at CAIS. Last year our JV team won the championship trophy and this year as varsity players we hope to do the same!

Practices will be held daily from 3:45-5:00 p.m. in the gym Monday through Friday from February 28 through mid-May. All interested parties please email Athletic Director, Debbie Talbot with player's name, intended practice days and emergency form. and she will get back to you with detailed information.

Basketball Teams are Playoff Contenders

Our four Firedragon basketball teams have been working hard this season on their skills and understanding of the game and it shows in the quality of play and results.


To date, all four teams are in contention for the playoffs which will begin the week of February 7. Finals will be hosted at San Francisco Friends School on Friday, February 11.


Come cheer on our boys and girls varsity teams for on Monday, January 31 in the gym as they enter the final games of the season.

Join CAIS, French American and International High School Families for a Screening of Hal Singer, Keep the Music Going with Filmmaker Guetty Felin

Hal Singer, Keep the Music Going tells the story of the living legendary tenor saxophonist Hal "Cornbread" Singer, an extremely important musician in the evolution and history of jump blues and R&B. Today, at the age of 90, Hal Singer still lives and performs in France, his adopted homeland for over 40 years. Shot between 1991 and 1998, from Paris to Tulsa via New York, Hal Singer's musical journey and his obsession to keep the music going are brilliantly captured in this one hour film. This award-winning film has been to festivals around the world and broadcast on television networks from Europe to Africa. Hal Singer, Keep the Music Going is not only for music lovers, but for all those who are interested in discovering and honoring the lives of important African Americans who have made great contributions to America's rich cultural heritage.

All families are invited to view the film along with the filmmaker on Wednesday, February 16, at the Dennis Gallagher Arts Pavilion located at 66 Page Street. Reception begins at 6:00 p.m., film and discussion with filmmaker at 7:00 p.m.

Click here to view an excerpt of the film.

Celebrating Black History Month and the Civil Rights Movement with CAIS Founding Parent and Civil Rights Activist Carol Ruth Silver

This coming Monday, January 31 CAIS eighth graders along with International High School students and the French American eighth grade class will have a joint assembly in honor of "We're Better Together: Civil Rights Black History Month."

The keynote speaker for the assembly is one of the founders of CAIS, Carol Ruth Silver. Long before CAIS, in June, 1961, she joined the Freedom Rides, a national movement that sought to integrate buses, trains and all interstate passenger travel, and to confront with non-violent action the ongoing segregation in the Southern United States. She was arrested in Jackson, Mississippi and was incarcerated for 40 days as a result of her activities as a Freedom Rider, including at Mississippi's notorious Parchman Penitentiary. From 1961-1964 as a student at the University of Chicago Law School, she recruited and sent legal interns to Mississippi and elsewhere in the South and produced research back-up for civil rights lawyers. She subsequently served three terms on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She will speak to students about her experiences in the Civil Rights movement.


As the first black female television journalist in the western United States, Belva Davis overcame the obstacles of racism and sexism, and helped change the face and focus of television news. Now she is sharing the story of her extraordinary life in her poignantly honest memoir, Never in My Wildest Dreams. A reporter for almost five decades, Davis is no stranger to adversity. Born to a fifteen-year-old Louisiana laundress during the Great Depression, and raised in the overcrowded projects of Oakland, California, Davis suffered abuse, battled rejection and persevered to achieve a career beyond her imagination. She has seen the world change in ways she never could have envisioned, from being verbally and physically attacked while reporting on the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco to witnessing the historic election of Barack Obama in 2008.


If you're interested in hearing more, all families are invited to join us at 9:15 am on Monday, January 31 in the school gym.

***Photo taken by Luis Delgado, parent of CAIS alumna.

"Nihao, Hou Laoshi!" The Best Moment for a Chinese Guest Teacher

In the summer of 2010, Amanda Yan Hou became the guest teacher at the MaST Community Charter School in Philadelphia. In the first day of school, the kids who knew no Chinese were able to say "Nihao, Hou Laoshi!" The students' first Chinese sentence is as beautiful as the best melody in the world! But on the second day, Hou Laoshi totally lost control of her class. After a long night in tears, she realized that she have to cheer up. Click here to read more.

Upcoming Important Dates

Middle School Orientation for Fifth Grade Parents
Friday, January 21

SSAT Prep Course
Saturday, January 22

Pre-k Dad's Night Out
Saturday, January 22

JV Boys Basketball Game
Monday, January 24

Parent Education Evening, Family and Children Services
Tuesday, January 25

Coffee & Questions, Summer Enrichment
Wednesday, January 26

JV Boys and JV Girls Basketball Games
Wednesday, January 26

Enrollment Begins for 2011-12 School Year
Thursday, January 27

Robotics Team Open House and Demo
Thursday, January 27

Please check our school calendar for details about upcoming events. The calendar is updated on a regular basis as events are created. Please check back regularly.

Grandparents Reception Immediately Following Mass Greeting

Chinese New Year is a time for honoring the entire family so we welcome grandparents to join for a post-performance grandparents reception with tea and deem sum immediately following the Chinese New Year Mass Greeting at 11:15 a.m. -- 1:00 p.m. in the lower level conference room.


If you are interested in attending the reception with your child's grandparent, RSVP to JP Lor or at 415-861-0866.

Coffee & Questions Next Wednesday

Now is the time to start plotting the course of summer camps offered throughout the Bay Area and to help navigate that road, Auxiliary Program Director, Kevin Lee is hosting a Coffee & Questions on Wednesday, January 26 at 8:15 a.m. in room 57B of our Oak Street campus to talk about the CAIS summer camp and enrichment program.

2011-12 School Year Enrollment Starts Next Week

On Thursday, January 27 the online enrollment process for the 2011-12 school year commences. All families will receive a detailed letter via email that will include instructions, fee structure and due dates.

If you have questions about the online enrollment process, please contact our Business Office Manager, Ina Stahl.

Five Minutes of Your Time - Participate in National Survey

You as well as families from more than 5,000 other independent schools across the country are being asked to participate in a very brief national research survey being conducted by Independent School Management (ISM), the largest private school consulting firm in the U.S.

ISM has 25 years of experience surveying school constituencies, and absolutely guarantees the anonymity of your responses. The participating schools will be provided with summary data only.

The data gathered will help gain a better understanding of re-enrollment trends and CAIS's participation has been requested.

The online survey on ISM's website should take you no more than five minutes to complete. When you are ready to begin, simply click this link: http://surveys.isminc.com/surveys/ParentReenrollment2011/

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful participation.

Join the Community at the Chinese New Year Parade

Under the leadership of parents Lisa Tam and Bradley Sugarman, planning for the entry in the 2011Chinese New Year has commenced and we are looking for families to participate in this wonderful community-building activity that culminates on Saturday, February 19 at the nation's largest Chinese New Year parade.


This event is truly a team effort and many parent volunteers are necessary to make the event happen so we can proudly showcase the school to estimated crowds of more than 70,000 people.


Last year CAIS won first place in the float competition in the amateur build category and this year we are changing things up a bit with a marching group rather than building a float. The decision to make this change is to allow for more school participation than we would with a float. With a marching group we can have up to 50 participants in the parade.


This year's theme is a tightly guarded secret, but we can tell you that it incorporates the story of the Rabbit and the Moon Lady. You'll just have to volunteer to find out the details!


Here's what you need to know

• Because we need kids who can walk the entire parade route, we are going to limit the participation to kids in first grade and above. Parents should be confident in their child's ability to walk the entire route (about 1.25 miles in about two hours).
• All parents who have kids in the parade will be required to help out in some way: costume making, prop building, technical support, putting together supplies for food and drink, etc.
• We will need active assistance on the weekends of January 29-30, February 5-6, February 12-13, and of course the day of the parade February 19.
• Interested in joining the fun? Contact cnyparade@sugarworksdesign.com. Bradley and Lisa will send an e-mail to all volunteers with instructions next week.

CAIS Student Performances on the Near Horizon!

There are several upcoming opportunities to see our group of talented students perform both at school and in the community. Here is a summary of where they'll be and when.

February 6
Asian Art Museum Lunar New Year Celebration - Noon - 1:00 p.m.

CAIS Dance Troupes, Chinese Music Ensembles, and Middle School Lion Dancers perform.

Admission Free, everyone welcome!

February 17
"Spring Sing" Music performance by first and second graders under the direction of Jean Zhu.

San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 6:30 p.m.

Admission Free, audience limited to first and second grade families.

March 19
CAIS 14th Annual Talent Recital - see last week's Flash for details.

St. Aidan's Episcopal Church, Diamond Heights, 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Admission Free, everyone welcome!

April 27
Kindergarten music sharing for families.

Basement Cafe, 9:00 a.m.

May 22
Ultra Arts Fair - Noon 4:00 p.m.

Visual Art from all grades plus music and dance from Middle School Wheel classes.

Various locations throughout campus; everyone welcome! Food available.

Next Thursday! Robotics Team Hosts Open House and Demonstration

This year's First Lego League (FLL) robotics team will host an open house and demonstration on Thursday, January 27 at 3:45 p.m. in Ms. Hsih's classroom (room 156 behind the Hickory front desk). All fourth through seventh graders who are interested in learning more about FLL and its programs are invited to attend with their parents.


Since this is a parent-led team activity, parent participation is essential. The open house will start with a presentation on FLL followed by a presentation of the team's award-winning research project and, finally, robot demonstrations on the competition table. Younger siblings must be supervised by an adult at all times.


Due to the limited amount of space in the classroom, RSVP to Kevin Lee if you plan to attend.


The team is anxious to demonstrate their hard work and commitment from this year's competition that took them to regionals in Sacramento where they won the Outstanding Rookie Team award.

Cal Science and Engineering Festival

It's all about science in action this Sunday. You and your family will put solar power to the test, get hands-on with ancient fossils, discover the "science" of unicycling and basketball, make your own earthquake, journey to the stars and more.

This free family event takes place on Sunday, January 23 in Sutardja Dai Hall at UC Berkeley, the newest research facility on campus.

What you need to know

• Sunday, January 23 - 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Sutardja Dai Hall at UC Berkeley
• Free for the entire family
• Check the festival website for details and updates. Or call 510-642-0352 for more information.

Thank you to CAIS Parent Jennifer Redmond and the Law Offices of Sheppard Mullin

We would like to recognize the tremendous support provided to the school by Jennifer Redmond, CAIS parent and member of the Board of Trustees. One way Jennifer fulfilled her desire to give back to the CAIS community was by including the school in the pro bono portfolio of her law firm, Sheppard Mullin Richter. In the 2009-2010 fiscal year, nearly $50,000 worth of high-caliber pro bono legal services were provided to the school by an extraordinary team of partners, associates, summer associates, legal assistants and staff at Sheppard Mullin on a range of practice areas from labor laws to tax and employee benefits.

Special thank you to all our supporters at Sheppard Mullin for giving back to CAIS in this important way.

Annual Fund Update

Thank you to the 240 CAIS families for your gifts and pledges totaling $534,702. Parent participation is at 70% and faculty/staff participation is at 62%.

Fourth grade red, first grade green, first grade gold and pre-k gold are all nearly at 100% participation. Help your child's class reach full participation by donating now. Who will be next to reach 100%?

With every class over 50%, we are closer to reaching our goal of full participation to the Annual Fund. To close the gap and support the vital programs that makes a CAIS education unique, please donate now.

To view class participation chart, click here.

Be the Next Band at ShowCAIS!

Are you a member of an awesome band? Do you know how to make people get up from their seats and dance? We are looking for bands from our own community to get us moving on the dance floor at ShowCAIS 2011.

If you have a great band to share with the community, please contact Alexandra Boyle for more information. We are considering both past ShowCAIS bands and new talent.

ShowCAIS 2011 will take place on Saturday, May 7 at the Ritz-Carlton.

CAIS/FAIS Parent Information Evening - Excessive Internet and Online Gaming

We all enjoy the benefits of the Internet, and for many of us it is also an indispensable tool for work, education and communication. While time spent on the Internet can be hugely productive for some adults, we need to be aware of our child's use as they grow up in this highly connected world.

You are invited to a CAIS/FAIS joint parent evening about how to recognize and prevent excessive Internet use presented by Officer Curtis Selseth.

This program is designed for parents to better understand the dealings of a child with an online addiction. Whether its online gaming or just addiction to the Internet, you will receive instructions on how online addiction affection affects the family, how to identify online addiction and what to do to prevent this growing problem from ever happening to your child.

Officer Curtis Selseth is a police officer in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has 26 years experience and his expertise is in the field of online child exploitation and computer forensics. He was a criminal investigator for eight years and has worked with the FBI's Innocent Images, the US Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force and U.S. District Attorney's Task Force on Online Child Exploitation. He spends his spare time teaching internet safety to children and parents.

What you need to know

• Parent Education Evening
• Monday, February 7 from 6:00 -- 8:00 p.m.
• Lower Cafe
• All parents are welcome, although this presentation is ideally suited for parents of fourth through eighth grades.
• Childcare provided but you must RSVP to Kevin Lee no later than Friday, February 4.
• If you're interested in joining this highly informative parent education evening, RSVP to Sarah Berman by Friday, February 4.

Art Teacher Lisa Ostapinski Gives Birth to Baby Boy

Lower school art teacher, Lisa Ostapinski welcomed Aidan Plowe into the world this past Saturday, January 15. He weighed in at 6lbs, 15oz. and is reported to be the "perfect" baby. Lisa and her husband Arnie are resting at home enjoying their perfect baby and still trying to figure out a middle name.


We're excited for Lisa and can't wait to meet the little one in the next few months.

Join the Ranks of Linguistic and Cultural Talents at the Bridge Cup Contest Next Month

The Confucius Institute at SF State and San Francisco Unified School District are organizing the 7th Annual Chinese Language Bridge Cup Contests that will take place from February 26 through April 14. Event categories include Chinese brush/pen calligraphy, Chinese painting/drawing, Chinese composition, Chinese-English/English-Chinese translation and Chinese poetry recital.

The contest is open to Kindergarten through high school students and each year CAIS has a large group who participates in the various categories. The purpose of the contests is to provide more opportunities for our students to demonstrate their linguistic and cultural talents and showcase their interest and achievements in learning Chinese language and culture with help from their teachers and parents.

For those interested in entering or learning more information, please click here.

Download registration form (for those who prefer to send in rather than online registration).

Click here for event rules. If your child is interested in entering in the poetry recital, you must send a copy of the self-selected poem with the registration form.

Event schedule, categories and general information can be found here.

CAIS/FAIS Parent Information Evening - Excessive Internet and Online Gaming

We all enjoy the benefits of the Internet, and for many of us it is also an indispensable tool for work, education and communication. While time spent on the Internet can be hugely productive for some adults, we need to be aware of our child's use as they grow up in this highly connected world.

You are invited to a CAIS/FAIS joint parent evening about how to recognize and prevent excessive Internet use presented by Officer Curtis Selseth.

This program is designed for parents to better understand the dealings of a child with an online addiction. Whether its online gaming or just addiction to the Internet, you will receive instructions on how online addiction affection affects the family, how to identify online addiction and what to do to prevent this growing problem from ever happening to your child.

Officer Curtis Selseth is a police officer in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has 26 years experience and his expertise is in the field of online child exploitation and computer forensics. He was a criminal investigator for eight years and has worked with the FBI's Innocent Images, the US Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force and U.S. District Attorney's Task Force on Online Child Exploitation. He spends his spare time teaching internet safety to children and parents.

What you need to know

• Parent Education Evening
• Monday, February 7 from 6:00 -- 8:00 p.m.
• Lower Cafe
• All parents are welcome, although this presentation is ideally suited for parents of fourth through eighth grades.
• Childcare provided but you must RSVP to Kevin Lee no later than Friday, February 4.
• If you're interested in joining this highly informative parent education evening, RSVP to Sarah Berman by Friday, February 4.

Coffee Cans Needed

We're looking for your used coffee cans to use as part of a middle school service project. If you have coffee cans you were planning on recycling, please drop them off in room 499 any time during the school day.

Teaching Privilege Workshop – Saturday February 5

Join CAIS and FAIS families and faculty on Saturday, February 5 from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. for a workshop that explores the premise that we can empower children and adults to leverage their privilege for social good by helping them to reflect on their own identities and attitudes about privilege.

Topics that will be explored include race, class, sexuality and learning ability privilege and challenge the deficit ideology that disempowers people by dividing us into "haves" or "have and nots."

Drawing on participants' experiences, as well as research on children's developing awareness and normative attitudes about privilege, we will explore strategies for transformatively teaching and learning about privilege. This workshop is for staff, administrators, faculty and parents who are interested in exploring and working with privilege.

Essential questions that will be asked include What is privilege? How does it work? How can I help my students and/or children and colleagues leverage their privilege for personal and social good?

What you need to know

• Saturday, February 5 from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
• Takes place in the FAIS library on the sixth floor.
• The workshop is $150. If interested in attending, RSVP to alison@rethinkingdiversity.com or 415-847-9087.

Join CAIS, French American and International HS Families at the Opening Reception for Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition

Kick off Black History Month with this exciting exhibition opening for Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition at the Museum of the African Diaspora, on Friday, January 28 from 7:30 -- 9:00 p.m.

Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be offered, and the reception features music by the Berkeley Jazz School. We will meet in the museum lobby at 7:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Veronica Reilly if you would like to meet up with the group.

Upcoming Important Dates

Middle School Orientation for Fifth Grade Parents
Friday, January 21

SSAT Prep Course
Saturday, January 22

Pre-k Dad's Night Out
Saturday, January 22

JV Boys Basketball Game
Monday, January 24

Parent Education Evening, Family and Children Services
Tuesday, January 25

Coffee & Questions, Summer Enrichment
Wednesday, January 26

JV Boys and JV Girls Basketball Games
Wednesday, January 26

Enrollment Begins for 2011-12 School Year
Thursday, January 27

Robotics Team Open House and Demo
Thursday, January 27

Please check our school calendar for details about upcoming events. The calendar is updated on a regular basis as events are created. Please check back regularly.

Financial Assistance Applications Due Tomorrow

The deadline to submit applications for financial aid for the 2011-12 school year is this Friday, January 14. If you are interested in applying, please follow the link here for instructions.

Demonstrate your Child's Linguistic and Cultural Talents at the Bridge Cup Contest

The Confucius Institute at SF State and San Francisco Unified School District are organizing the 7th Annual Chinese Language Bridge Cup Contests that will take place from February 26 through April 14. Event categories include Chinese brush/pen calligraphy, Chinese painting/drawing, Chinese composition, Chinese-English/English-Chinese translation and Chinese poetry recital.

The contest is open to Kindergarten through high school students and each year CAIS has a large group who participates in the various categories. The purpose of the contests is to provide more opportunities for our students to demonstrate their linguistic and cultural talents and showcase their interest and achievements in learning Chinese language and culture with help from their teachers and parents.

For those interested in entering or learning more information, please click here.

Download registration form (for those who prefer to send in rather than online registration).

Click here for event rules. If your child is interested in entering in the poetry recital, you must send a copy of the self-selected poem with the registration form.

Event schedule, categories and general information can be found here.

Join CAIS, French American and International HS Families at the Opening Reception for Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition

Kick off Black History Month with this exciting exhibition opening for Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition at the Museum of the African Diaspora, on Friday, January 28 from 7:30 -- 9:00 p.m.

Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be offered, and the reception features music by the Berkeley Jazz School. We will meet in the museum lobby at 7:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Veronica Reilly if you would like to meet up with the group.

Ski Discounts for February Break!

February Break is around the corner and for those of you interested in hitting the slopes (it's been snowing a lot up there!) our parent ski aficionado, Amy Lui has negotiated some fantastic group discounts.

Here's the deal

Monday, February 21 and Wednesday, February 23 -ski at Northstar - half-day lesson with lift ticket for $55 for children and adults.

Monday, February 21 and Wednesday, February 23 - full day lesson including lunch at Northstar for $99 for children and adults.

The fine print

In order to take advantage of these great discounts, we must have 20 (total, not just your group) people sign up for either of these promotions.

Please email cais.ski@gmail.com if you are interested in either of these discounts and Amy will get back to you with payment details.

Whether you or your family is new to skiing or pros, this is a great way to spend a few days of February break on the slopes.

Saturday, March 5

We also have discounts at Alpine Meadows on Saturday, March 5. We are in process of creating a webpage with all of the ski discount information available in one place. In the meantime, please contact cais.ski@gmail.com with any questions.

Coffee & Questions – Wednesday, January 26

Now is the time to start plotting the course of summer camps offered throughout the Bay Area, and to help navigate that road, Auxiliary Program Director, Kevin Lee is hosting a Coffee & Questions on Wednesday, January 26 at 8:15 a.m. in room 57B of our Oak Street campus to talk about the CAIS summer camp and enrichment program.

Summer camp catalogs will available in the days prior to the Coffee & Questions and we encourage you to bring them along with specific questions about the CAIS summer program.

Parent Education Evening - January 25

On Tuesday, January 25 at 6:00 p.m., Eileen Caven, a supervisor from Family and Children Services will lead a presentation on California's child abuse laws and the responsibilities of mandated reporters. The presentation will be followed by a Q & A session. Ms. Caven is a knowledgeable and engaging speaker. She is a former elementary school teacher and has worked in Family and Children's Services for more than 10 years. In November Ms. Caven led a similar discussion with all CAIS faculty and staff. Event details are below.

• Tuesday, January 25 -- 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
• Lower Cafe of our Oak Street campus.
• Childcare is available, please contact Kevin Lee to make arrangements.

We hope you can join us in this important community-wide meeting.

Chinese New Year Mass Greeting – Year of the Rabbit

Chinese New Year is a very important occasion in Chinese culture as well as at CAIS. Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is a time for families to be together; at school we bring our entire CAIS family together for Mass Greeting, which is happening on the eve of Chinese New Year on Wednesday, February 2.

Mass Greeting at CAIS is truly a community-wide event in which students from Kindergarten through eighth grades lead the CAIS family in songs, music and dance to celebrate Chinese New Year and Spring Festival. The term Mass Greeting signifies the tradition of offering loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as Jíxiánghùa or auspicious words or phrases.


For those of you new to the CAIS community, this is the largest celebration at school and we encourage both you and your child to wear traditional Chinese outfits or the color red on this day to signify the lucky color for the New Year.


While our pre-k students do not participate in the actual performance, our hope is for pre-k families to come to Mass Greeting with their children as audience members to learn about the celebration. If pre-k families are unable to take the time off work to attend, pre-k classes are in session during that time. For those pre-k families planning on attending the celebration, you need not drop your child off at school prior. Your child will begin his/her school day after Mass Greeting.


The culminating presentation at Mass Greeting is the lion dance, which is performed by the sixth grade class. The dance is symbolic and is performed as a ceremony to exorcise evil spirits and to summon luck and fortune for the New Year. The sixth grade class takes its lion dance responsibilities very seriously and with pride. They will continue to perform during the weeks following Mass Greeting, including in the halls and classrooms of CAIS and at community events including the Chinese New Year celebration at the Asian Art Museum on Sunday, February 6.


Classrooms are bustling with Chinese New Year activities during the week leading up to Mass Greeting as students learn about the traditions surrounding this important celebration.


We look forward to celebrating the Year of the Rabbit, year 4708 by Chinese calendar with all of our CAIS family.


What you need to know

• Mass Greeting community-wide event to celebrate Chinese New Year
• Wednesday February 2 from 9:15-11:15 a.m.
• Classes resume as usual after Mass Greeting.
• No school or childcare on Thursday, February 3 in observance of Chinese New Year. School resumes Friday, February 4

Be at Part of the 14th Annual CAIS Talent Recital

The 14th Annual CAIS Talent Recital will take place on the afternoon of Saturday, March 19 in St. Aidan's Church in Diamond Heights. The Talent Recital is a non-competitive opportunity for your child to increase his or her poise and self-confidence by performing solo or in a small group. Students and their families have the opportunity to watch and support a wide range of ages and abilities, all part of our CAIS community.

Students prepare their performance outside of school: instrumental performance, singing, dancing, even martial arts and stand-up comedy; all performance forms are welcome. Students must have their pieces memorized for this recital. Performances are limited to two minutes; older and/or more advanced students may have slightly longer pieces, with Ms. Kennedy's permission.


If your Kindergarten through eighth grade child would like to participate, please send an email to Music Director, Susan Kennedy with the following information. Registration closes Friday, February 11.

• Child's name, as you would like it printed in the program
• Grade and class (3rd green, etc.)
• His/her performance medium (piano, tap dance, stand up comedy, etc.)
• Contact parents' name, phone number and email address.
  
  
  

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  Enrollment for 2011-12 School Year Starts January 27
  

  On Thursday, January 27 the online enrollment process for the 2011-12 school year commences. All families will receive a detailed letter via email that will include instructions, fee structure and due dates.

  If you have questions about the online enrollment process, please contact our Business Office Manager, Ina Stahl

  
  

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  Snakes on a Wall?
  

  
  The eighth grade art class has started on quite a project that involves plaster, paper mâche, mosaic tiles, vision and lots of helping hands. The result will be a 15-foot snake that will travel to the de Young Museum 'Young at Art' exhibition in May.
  
  
  Keep your eyes out (you can't miss it!) for this snake because we heard through the grapevine that the snakes permanent home will be on one of the play yards for everyone to enjoy.
  
  

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  Upcoming Parent Lecture and Discussion
  

  Parents Place, one of the Bay Area's leading family resource center, is hosting a lecture and discussion on Wednesday, February 9 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The event is presented by Barbara Coloroso, an international best-selling author on parenting, teaching, school discipline, positive school climate, bullying, grieving, nonviolent conflict resolution.

  The lecture and discussion will be packed with practical advice on how to use everyday life to teach children to act with integrity, civility, responsibility and compassion. Barbara Coloroso will teach parents how to nurture and guide children's ethical lives from toddlerhood through the teen years using everyday situations at home, at school, in social settings and in the world at large.

  For those interested in attending this event, register in advance here.

  
  

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Flip Friday Starts January 28

Beginning Friday, January 28 children who have been having Chinese on Friday mornings will start their school day with English on Friday mornings and vice versa for those children who have started with English on Friday mornings.

This mid-year adjustment will be in effect each Friday throughout the rest of the school year. It helps provide for equal instruction time in both languages. The Monday through Thursday schedule remains the same.

Oak and Waller Street Clay Programs Sell Ornaments for Charity

Pre-k, Kindergarten, first and second graders had a great time making clay ornaments during the month leading up to the Holiday Faire. They were sold for $1 each, which raised $70 for the Coal for Kids program which provides coal, blankets and warm clothing to orphanages in northern China.


Because the goal of raising $50 was met, Coal for Kids donated a set of children's books to the CAIS library. These books, My Life in China: The Story of Xiao Min, explores Chinese culture and values while following the life of a young girl in China and are written in English, Pinyin and simplified characters.


Way to go kids! The books are available in the library located in the lower level of our Oak Street campus.

Oak and Waller Street Clay Programs Sell Ornaments for Charity

Pre-k, Kindergarten, first and second graders had a great time making clay ornaments during the month leading up to the Holiday Faire. They were sold for $1 each, which raised $70 for the Coal for Kids program which provides coal, blankets and warm clothing to orphanages in northern China.


Because the goal of raising $50 was met, Coal for Kids donated a set of children's books to the CAIS library. These books, My Life in China: The Story of Xiao Min, explores Chinese culture and values while following the life of a young girl in China and are written in English, Pinyin and simplified characters.


Way to go kids! The books are available in the library located in the lower level of our Oak Street campus.

Join the Next Book Club Meeting

The first meeting of the CAIS parent book club was a stimulating way to start the new year and we hope to see new members join next month.

The format of the club is casual and there is no obligation to come every month. The group meets once a month to discuss a book focused on parenting. It's a great way to share stories and ideas and meet new people in our community. At the end of each book club meeting, a new book will be chosen for the following month.

All are welcome and the next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 16 at 8:15 a.m. in room 57A of our Oak Street campus. Wendy Mogel's book The Blessing of a Skinned Knee will be discussed.

Didn't have time to read the book? Don't worry, come and join the discussion anyway!

Flip Friday Starts January 28

Beginning Friday, January 28 children who have been having Chinese on Friday mornings will start their school day with English on Friday mornings and vice versa for those children who have started with English on Friday mornings.

This mid-year adjustment will be in effect each Friday throughout the rest of the school year. It helps provide for equal instruction time in both languages. The Monday through Thursday schedule remains the same.

Student Government Busy with Fundraising Activities

Student Government will host a dance on Friday, February 11 in the Lower Cafe from 7-10 p.m. Proceeds from the dance will go towards efforts to raise money to build a school in Kenya. They have raised over $3,000 this year and hope to attain the goal of $5,000 by the end of the school year.

Eighth Grader Wins in U.S. Piano Competition

Last weekend eighth grader Nicole Newlin and her sister Louise ('09) won first prize in the siblings division of the U.S. International Piano Duo Competition in Colorado Springs.

As a result, they have been invited to play their piece at the SF International Music Festival at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music on January 23 and at the East Bay Music Festival in February.

Come to the PA Meeting Next Thursday

Rested after the winter break, the PA Council is ready to go with their first meeting of the new year. Come join the meeting next Thursday, January 20 in room 57B starting at 8:15 a.m.

Everyone is encouraged to attend and learn something new about all of the wonderful things the PA has planned for the second half of the school year.

Firedragon JV Girls Undefeated

The start of the basketball season is off to a great start for the JV girls team. The team remains undefeated so far this with a 4-0 record. Their latest victory was a 20-10 game against San Francisco Friend's School on Tuesday.

Come by the gymnasium and cheer on all of our Firedragon basketball teams. Check here for game days.

Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday at the Museum of the African Diaspora

Celebrate Dr. King's birthday with your family! On Saturday, January 15 from 12:00 -- 4:00 p.m. at the Museum of the African Diaspora, there will be a free Family Day activity inspired by both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, and the upcoming opening of the museum's new jazz-themed exhibition, Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition, Contemporary African American Quilts.

Drop in to the Education Center where families will silk screen images of jazz greats and Dr. King using screens burned with black and white photos, paint and paper. There will also be blank paper for anyone who wants to create their own image for printing or for embellishing one of the burned screens. Stop by the Wells Fargo Heritage Center to see the film King: Montgomery to Memphis.

Museum admission is also free all day on Monday, January 17.

Join CAIS, French American and International HS Families at the Opening Reception for Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition

Kick off Black History Month with this exciting exhibition opening for Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition at the Museum of the African Diaspora, on Friday, January 28 from 7:30 -- 9:00 p.m.

Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be offered, and the reception features music by the Berkeley Jazz School. We will meet in the museum lobby at 7:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Veronica Reilly if you would like to meet up with the group.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Honored at CAIS

The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is celebrated not only this month in honor of his birthday, but throughout the year by CAIS teachers. For example, in Kindergarten students read a biography of Dr. King and discuss his role as a great peacemaker, then write stories about what makes them feel peaceful.

In sixth grade Chinese class students discuss bias and perspective in relation to a class reading.

Eighth grade students recently visited the powerful memorial to Dr. King at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

The entire middle school will join together in an assembly on January 24 to watch an excerpt from Dr. King's famous 'I Have a Dream' speech and discuss his legacy.

These are just a few examples of the ways in which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is honored by the CAIS community, on his birthday, and throughout the year. Please check out the bulletin board near the PA corner for inspiring quotations and local events that celebrate Dr. King.

Upcoming Important Dates

Varsity Girls and Boys Basketball Games
Friday, January 7

Parent Info Night - Fifth-Eighth Grade Health Ed
Monday, January 10

Pre-K Parent Education Night - Guiding Behavior
Tuesday, January 11

JV and Varsity Boys Basketball Games
Wednesday, January 12

Development and Business Offices Moving

Next week, the Development and Business Offices will be moving from the fourth floor to the fifth floor of the 44 Page Street Kanbar Building.

'The new offices will provide us with more space to grow,' said JP Lor, Development Officer. 'Interaction between our offices and employees will be more efficient, thanks to the optimal layout.'

The move will take place on Wednesday, January 12.

School Photos Still Available for Online Ordering

Our school photographers have graciously reopened our online photo gallery through the end of January. It's the perfect opportunity to order more pictures.

Please read this carefully for the smoothest ordering process:

• Navigate to the photos of your child. Select all of them, plus the class photo, by checking the select box in the corner of the thumbnail.
• Mouse over the 'Buy' button at the top of the page and choose 'New Product'. A pop-up window will open showing all of our packages and products.
• Select the package(s) you are interested in and click "continue" to build that package.
• Drag the photos into the placeholders. **
• Select 'Preview and Configure' if you want to prepare your item with more specifics. (Exact cropping for 5x7 and 8x10 sizes, BW and sepia toning.)
• Select View Shopping Cart to review the package.
• Select 'Buy More Products' with selected photos if you are interested in purchasing more items using the photos you currently have selected.
• Select "Checkout Now" if you are satisfied with your selections and want to go directly to the shopping cart and finalize your order.

Sync your Mobile Device to our School Calendar

For those of you who have embraced our school calendar, we thank you! For those of you interesting in linking your device with our online school calendar to stay on top of events, it's easy.

Because we're such a busy community and new school events are added weekly, this is a quick and easy way to stay up to date. Please note users who are already syncing your device or are planning to, the Google sync app is necessary to ensure that all newly added events (and we do add a lot of events!) are synced on a regular basis so you're always up to date.

For instructions regarding how to subscribe to our school calendar, click here.

To learn more about the Google sync app, (necessary so all new events are updated) click here.

Soap and Hand Sanitizer Drive for the People of Haiti

Next Wednesday, January 12 will mark the first anniversary of the devastating quake that shattered the island nation of Haiti, killing 300,000 and leaving 1.2 million homeless. Today, one year after this tragedy, the fragile nation has fallen victim to a cholera epidemic, which is growing into a pandemic affecting various regions throughout the country. Humanitarian officials are calling for 'massive mobilization activities' in Haiti to promote prevention and early treatment in the cholera epidemic which has already killed more than 2,760 people and infected over 130,000 others, nearly 71,000 of whom were hospitalized.

Mobilize for Haiti is working with FAIS to gather supplies needed to halt the proliferation of the cholera epidemic in Haiti, and CAIS families are invited to contribute soap and hand sanitizers (preferably non-alcohol based for more effectiveness) to the drive. Donations can be dropped off in the bin in the Hickory Street lobby. Mobilize for Haiti is hoping to send a first shipment by January 12.

For more information on Mobilize for Haiti please visit their blog.

Café Tartine Has a New Owner and it's One of our Own!

Many of us subscribe to the belief of deals being conducted on the golf course. Well here at CAIS, deals happen on roller coasters.
About a year ago Athletic Director, Debbie Talbot was riding a roller coaster with Middle School Art Teacher, Marc Peron at Great America with the eighth grade class. With talk about how stress (both physical and mental) affects the body, Marc mentioned that he was ready to move on from Tartine and pursue other interests.


At that moment it struck Debbie that she wanted to pursue owning Tartine and put her "name" on it. She was both excited and intrigued with the idea and called my husband Scot from Great America and told him about the conversation with Marc and how she felt about this new potential venture. Before she was even done with her story, he said "let's do it, tell Marc right now that we want to buy Tartine."


Fast forward a year and Debbie and Scot opened on Monday, January 3, 2011 as the new (and proud) owners of Cafe Tartine. The impetus for this bold move comes from Debbie's sense of community and holistic approach to education and nurturing children. She feels that she can integrate her philosophy of healthy lifestyles, exercise and now nutrition by being Athletic Director, Health and Wellness teacher and purveyor of fresh, organic and local foods.


They have made minor changes that include new vendors for all of their baked goods, a couple of new menu items and a new local coffee roaster. Their goal is to continue in Marc's footsteps and support the local community in as many ways as possible.


After being at CAIS for so long as both a parent and faculty member, Debbie looks at it as an extension of her family. It is a work in progress but their goal is to provide products that have a high nutritional and fresh quality from local community-minded vendors, but at the same time keep it fun, because everybody needs a cookie!


Stop by Tartine and try the new coffee and pastries….baked fresh daily!

ShowCAIS is Coming!

The Development Team has been working hard with parent volunteers to bring you a wonderful gala this spring. ShowCAIS 2011 will be held at the Ritz-Carlton on May 7, 2011. We have exciting things planned for this year, but you'll have to stayed tuned for more info.

This week and next, the Development Office will be scheduling one-on-one volunteer orientations for new and returning volunteers who would like to learn more about all the opportunities for involvement. You can express interest by going to cais.org/events and completing your volunteer profile. If you have already done so, we will be sure to contact you before the end of the week with more information.

Annual Fund Strong Coming Out of Holidays

The Annual Fund saw a strong showing of support from the parents and faculty/staff alike during the holidays.

Exactly a year ago, parent contributions totaled at $349,729. Parent participation was 47.3% and faculty/staff participation was well below 15%.

This year, we have received gifts and pledges from 239 CAIS families, totaling $525,635. Parent participation is at 69%. Faculty/staff participation is at 62%. Let's keep the momentum going!

Fourth grade red, first grade green, first grade gold and pre-k gold are nearly at 100% participation. Help your class reach full participation by donating now. Who will be next?

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Annual Fund. With every gift, you are making a statement that you believe in CAIS's mission and the unique education that your children receive. Many thanks to the Annual Fund Co-Chairs and Class Captains, who sacrifice their time and energy to make this effort successful.

For more information about the Annual Fund and other giving opportunities at CAIS, click here.

For a chart of our Annual Fund progress, click here.

The World of Brains Made Fun for your Child

A lot of you took part in JoAnn Deak's presentation to families last school year about brain research and the differences between boys and girls when it comes to learning. Many of the general brain concepts JoAnn mentioned in her presentation have been formulated for three to six-year-olds in her new book, Your Fantastic Elastic Brain.


The book, narrated by an oh so cute owl and mouse, teaches children fun facts about their own brains and delivers the message that mistakes are an essential part of learning. The illustrations are fun and creative and the message is educational, yet fun. We even learned a thing or two about our brains by reading it!


Our library has two copies on order and for those interested in ordering a copy for home, you can purchase online here.

Introducing Substitute Art Teacher, Caroline Tremblay

While Lower School Art Teacher, Lisa Ostapinski is on maternity leave until April, we are lucky to have Caroline Tremblay step in and take over lower school art duties.


Originally from France, Caroline has three children who went and are currently attending Lycee Francais here in SF. As a result, her children are bilingual and bicultural and she understands the hurdles and rewards of giving children a bilingual education. Once her children started attending Lycee, she volunteered giving art lessons there and started the after school art program. Her first love is figurative oil painting and her mentor, Ming Ren is from Hangzhou China.


She conducted her student teaching at Lowell High School in visual arts and ceramics and has also worked at FAIS and Lycee Francais. Her teaching philosophy blends high thinking and literacy with the practice of traditional techniques. She believes that making art is a privileged moment tapping into inner resources.


In her first week at CAIS, she has felt extremely welcomed by her students and community and is already looking forward to all of the wonderful Chinese New Year celebrations that are happening in the coming weeks. She has already started her classes thinking about the year of the rabbit through talking about 'famous' rabbits throughout history and modern day as well as the traits of rabbits to help get them thinking about Chinese New Year.


When Caroline isn't teaching, you can find her at the Sharon Arts Studio making ceramics, fused glass and precious metal clay jewelry and enjoying life.

Fifth Grade Taipei Exchange Chaperons Selected

Plans for the upcoming March 26-April 9 fifth grade Taipei exchange trip are underway chaperons have been selected. This year's chaperons are:

• Zach Jones, Fourth Grade English Teacher
• Annie Lin, Kindergarten TA
• Nicole Wilson, Exchange Program Coordinator
• Warren Wright, Librarian/Media Specialist

If you have questions about the program, please visit the exchange trip webpage for all Taipei exchange information.

Kindergarten and First Grade Parent Book Club Next Week

Start the New Year off with a CAIS book club for Kindergarten and first grade parents! Beginning January 12 at 8:30 a.m., the book club will meet every Wednesday for eight weeks. Come for tea and conversation. You are welcome even if you don't have a copy of the book.

How do we support children through the difficult parts of life? How do we cultivate empathy and respect in our homes? How do we raise children who are flexible and efficacious?

Join other Kindergarten and first grade parents to read and discuss the well-worn and easy-to-read parenting manual, How to Talk so Children Will Listen and Listen So Children Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Maizlish. Share your own successes and challenges as we together explore the challenging world of parenting.

RSVP to Wendy Zacuto and if you need a copy of the book, arrangements can be made for a group purchase.

Spelling Bee Winner to Represent CAIS

Seventh grader, Laurence Fong is the winner of the CAIS annual spelling bee that took place right before the break. He will represent the school at the annual San Francisco Chronicle Spelling Bee in February. Eighth grader, Irene Wang was runner up.

Good luck Laurence!

Middle School Students Decorate For Waller Street Wednesday Night Meal Program

As part of our advisory program, middle school students made holiday decorations for the weekly Wednesday evening meal for homeless and hungry people at the First Baptist Church, next to our Waller Street Campus. Handmade place mats and centerpieces created a very festive atmosphere.


Middle school students are invited to participate in setting tables for the program every week, and we need some volunteers for the January and February dates. Sign up in the fourth floor open space or talk to Veronica Reilly if your child is interested in participating.

Scholastic Book Fair – Money Raised for Teachers' Classrooms

With everyone's support and selling over $8,600 at the Scholastic and Chinese Book Fairs, our teachers were able to take $3,254.81 in profit from the fair, helping supply classrooms with new books.

Thanks for everyone's support!

STARTALK: Building Language and Leadership Capacity

By Laura Terrill


As one of the team leaders, I've been able to observe the impact that the best practices have on student learning. I find myself regretting the fact that I did not have such a concise list of best practices when I began teaching. What do STARTALK classrooms look like? What are the endorsed best practices? Read more

Share Resources Contest

Mandarin Center members have the chance to win one of five complimentary registrations to the National Chinese Language Conference in San Francisco. All members are automatically entered. Increase your odds of winning significantly just by using The Mandarin Center! Find out how here.

Upcoming Important Dates

Winter Program - Herbst Theatre
Thursday, December 9

Head of School Community Meeting
Tuesday, December 14

Last Day for Wednesday Enrichment Classes
Wednesday, December 15

Last Day for Thursday Enrichment Classes
Thursday, December 16

Noon Dismissal, No Childcare
Friday, December 17

Study Finds China Leading in Education

There's been much news recently on proposed cuts to language programs in higher education and in public and private schools around the country even as U.S. students are pleading for more language programs in order to be competitive in a global economic world.

This past week, an interesting article was published in the New York Times, ranking standardized test scores given to a cross-section of 15-year-old students in 65 countries. China ranked highest while the United States ranked average to above-average. Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, referred to the results as a 'wake-up call' to the brutal truth that a typical American student's education is "being out-educated" on a global scale.

But remember -- CAIS is not your typical school -- in the Bay Area, in the United States or in the global educational field.

At CAIS, teachers have been preparing students to be players in a globalizing world for the past 30 years. While U.S. educational leaders are now recognizing the importance of prioritizing this type of bilingual and bicultural education, CAIS is the pioneering prototype.

The New York Times article is generous to state there are many incongruent and flawed comparisons yet to be addressed in the science of ranking standardized test results of students from cities and countries of vastly different sizes and economic development, there is no doubt that China's strong culture of education and greater emphasis on teacher training is making a phenomenal impact on the stellar academic performance of their children.

Community Celebrates the Life of Founding Head of School

This past Sunday family, alumni, former and current teachers, members from both the FAIS and CAIS community and former and current board members came together to celebrate the life of founding Head of School, Shirley Lee in a heartfelt service that expressed her personality, vibrancy and passion for Chinese immersion education.

Thank you to everyone who attended the event. The underlying theme of the evening was that Shirley lived a colorful life and CAIS wouldn't be here if it weren't for her vision and pioneering spirit. We will continue to honor her by building upon what she started.

First Grade Teacher Attends Conference in Beijing

Sue Geng (Geng Laoshi) was invited to attend the Hanban/Confucius Institute Professional Training Conference in Beijing held at the end of October at Beijing University. This all expenses paid trip was funded by Hanban, which in simple terms is an organization affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education whose mission is to provide Chinese language and cultural teaching resources and services worldwide to help Chinese programs around the world.


Geng Laoshi, along with 700 teaching professionals from across the United States and Canada came together for five days of intense working groups and sessions. The sessions were collaborative in nature, with educators sharing their best practices, new ways of engaging student interest, lesson plans, teaching materials and more. 'We were at the conference from 7:30 a.m. until after 7:00 p.m. each day,' Geng Laoshi said.


What struck her was the number of Caucasian Chinese language teachers from around the U.S. and Canada. She spent a lot of time with a delegation of teachers from Utah, whose state legislators have secured funding for public immersion programs and currently have 65 programs (including Chinese, French and Spanish) running.


"I met so many people who I will continue to talk to and exchange ideas with,' said Geng Laoshi. 'I also brought back a number of new teaching materials that I'm excited to introduce to my class,' she continued. 'It really was an educational trip for me to exchange so many ideas with other teachers who have a common goal of teaching Chinese. But by the end of the week I really missed my students," she said.

Firedragon Robotics Team Wins Outstanding Rookie Team Award

The CAIS Firedragons robotics team had a fine showing at the regional competition in Sacramento last weekend. Their robot runs gave them a fourth place standing for robot performance and they won the Outstanding Rookie Team award at the regional event. It was a great season of learning and fun!


The team will sponsor an open house and demonstration at CAIS after the holidays. Please come and watch the team put the robot through its paces and read about their research project on stroke rehabilitation using video games. Date and time to be announced after break.


Thanks to Susan Cheng and Alex Woo for leading the team to the regional event in Sacramento.

Two Classes Reach 100% Annual Fund Participation

On Monday, Pre-K Orange - the class that had the lowest participation level for most of the Fall - made a huge comeback as the first to reach 100%Annual Fund participation. Today, Kindergarten Red came in a formidable second place, also reaching 100%. Congratulations and thank you to these two classes for leading the charge and setting an example for our community.


There was a huge boost in the Annual Fund this week. Parent contributions have reached $470,829 at 58% participation. Faculty and staff participation is also at 58%.


It's not too late to give to the Annual Fund and boost your class's participation to the top. With 2011 soon approaching, now is the perfect time to make your year-end gift. Please click here to donate to the Annual Fund.


Planning to hold off with your donation until the new year? Be counted! Make a pledge now and donate later.


Click here to view full-size class participation chart.

Kindergarten Parent Book Club Starts January 12

Start the New Year off with a CAIS book club for Kindergarten parents! Beginning January 12 at 8:30 a.m., the book club will meet every Wednesday for eight weeks. Come for tea and conversation. You are welcome even if you don't have a copy of the book.

Join other Kindergarten parents to read and discuss the well-worn and easy-to-read parenting manual, How to Talk so Children Will Listen and Listen So Children Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Maizlish. Share your own successes and challenges as we together explore the challenging world of parenting.

RSVP to Wendy Zacuto and if you need a copy of the book, arrangements can be made for a group purchase.

Second Graders Host Book Buddy Party

Last Friday, the second grade class hosted a book buddy party with their fifth grade book buddies to celebrate the book buddy reading program. The program pairs second and fifth grade students together to choose books and read aloud to one another to help increase oral reading and social skills.


At the party, each student exchanged homemade cards expressing how their gratitude towards their buddy. The buddy program meets once a month and will continue through the end of the school year.

Free Science Exploration Station Event This Sunday

Looking for a fun event for your budding scientist this Sunday? Stop by the San Francisco Moscone Center Gateway Ballroom on Sunday, December 12 from noon to 4 p.m. and see science up close and personal. This is a FREE event where you can try hands-on activities with 20 exhibitors and load up on free stuff and meet scientists and more.

Click here for additional event details.

Second Grader Raises Money for Pennies for Peace

Second grader, Cassie Eng has learned a lot about giving back in her seven years. For her birthday last summer she hosted a Pennies for Peace party and asked her friends and family to give her pennies instead of presents. She received 34,002 pennies and in turn donated the proceeds to the Pennies for Peace organization that provides furniture and supplies for schools in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.


She wrote a letter to the organization's Executive Director, Greg Mortenson (author of Three Cups of Tea) letting him know she wanted to be just like him when she grew up. Cassie appears to be on the same path, because she also raised money while she was in the Philippines over the summer in a similar way by asking her extended family there to donate money to a local charity that sets up pushcart schools to serve labor exploited street children.


She hopes to inspire her classmates to do the same and was recently featured in a publication highlighting her philanthropic efforts.

Middle School Students Place in National Chinese Essay Contest

Eight of our middle school students recently placed in the seventh annual National CLASS Essay Contest. Under the direction of eighth grade Chinese teacher, Tang Laoshi, the students wrote essays in Chinese about languages and the gateway to global communities. The reflective pieces drew upon personal multilingual and multicultural experiences from their own lives.

CLASS is a non-profit professional organization that represents all Chinese language educators at all levels from elementary to secondary schools in the United States. CAIS winners include:

• Siena Belda
• Brian Fong
• Octavia Geraghty
• Sophie Go
• Morgan Kwong
• Irene Wang
• Jonathan Wang

• Olivia Price

Free Science Exploration Station Event This Sunday

Looking for a fun event for your budding scientist this Sunday? Stop by the San Francisco Moscone Center Gateway Ballroom on Sunday, December 12 from noon to 4 p.m. and see science up close and personal. This is a FREE event where you can try hands-on activities with 20 exhibitors and load up on free stuff and meet scientists and more.

Click here for additional event details.

Basketball Season off to a Victorious Start

Both of our middle school varsity basketball teams defeated KIPP Academy last night at an away game at KIPP.

The girls' team won by 10 points and the boys won with a shot on the final whistle 28-27!

Way to go Firedragons!

Upcoming Important Dates

Scholastic and Chinese Book Fair
Through Friday, December 3

Photo Make-up/Re-take Day
Friday, December 3

Last Day for Monday Enrichment Classes
Monday, December 6

Varsity Boys Basketball Game
Wednesday, December 8

Winter Program, Herbst Theatre
Thursday, December 9

International Fencing Competitor in our Community

In October we told you about superstar eighth grade fencer, Sabrina Massialas and her fencing achievements and now we just learned that Sabrina just returned from Germany after competing in a European Cadet Circuit tournament. Sabrina placed seventh out of 182 fencers from 16 nations, the highest ranked 13/14 year-old.

Nice work, Sabrina!

Meet CAIS Media Specialist, Warren Wright

After 19 years at CAIS, Warren Wright is truly a veteran staff member in our community with an incredible knowledge of CAIS's history and a deep sense of commitment to the school and its mission. Although his title is Librarian/Media Specialist, Warren does so much more. On any given day he can be found helping with drop-off duties in the morning, organizing faculty and staff birthday activities, helping teachers with lunch duties and serving on various committees, and that doesn't include his "real" job! As the role of Librarian/Media Specialist, Warren orders books for both the classrooms and the library, working directly with Chinese publishers.


Warren has built our library from its humble beginnings. When he started at CAIS, the school was located in the Presidio, and the library was comprised of donated books and no Chinese reading materials other than textbooks. Now, CAIS's library collection spans the gamut of genres in both English and Chinese, available to both the Oak and Waller Street Campuses.


Warren also holds Kindergarten through fifth grade English and Chinese storytelling in the library, continually working with the classroom teachers on the subject matter of the books that he reads in order to provide full integration between storytelling and the class curriculum.


How did Warren Land at CAIS?


Warren graduated from UC Santa Barbara where he studied Eastern Philosophy, during which time he participated in a yearlong exchange program in Hong Kong during his senior year. Instead of moving back to California after graduation, he opted to move to Taiwan where he spent the next seven years teaching English and learning Mandarin. After returning to California, he pursued his studies and holds a post-graduate degree in Library Technology and a Master's in Library Information Studies.


"CAIS was my dream job," Warren said. "The library was in its infancy when I started, and I was able to take it from the beginning and build upon it and apply my love of Chinese language and culture with my profession."


When asked what his favorite thing about his job is, he quickly replied "What I love to see and still thrills me the most is seeing the Kindergarten class learn to read and seeing kids walking through the halls with their noses in books."

Check out Our New Art Gallery

There have been some pretty exciting things happening in the CAIS art department so far this year and we'd like to show off our talented group of artists to the community.

We just launched a new online art gallery that is in its beginning stages, but will eventually feature a rotation of artwork from all grade levels. Check it out on the homepage of our website. Left hand side, under the 'quick links' section.

Firedragon Robotics Team Wins!

The rookie Firedragons robotics team won both the robot performance and research project categories at the SF FIRST Lego League qualifier tournament on November 20! They will now head to the Sacramento Regional competition this coming Sunday, December 5 to compete against 35 other teams for an invitation to continue on to the Northern California championship event in January.


The team consists of Audrey Connell (7th), Peter Huang (7th), Katy Woo (7th), Elizabeth Wu (7th), Owen Collier (6th), Erik Connell (5th), Katherine Wu (5th).

Good luck in Sacramento!

Next Thursday's Winter Program: Did You Know?

You probably know that the Winter Program will be Thursday December 9 at Herbst Theatre. And you might know that all third, fourth, fifth and eighth graders, plus sixth and seventh grade Music Ensemble and Dance Troupe members, will be performing. But did you know that, for the first time ever, the eighth graders created the story and devised many of the scenes? It's a wonderful story about two babies who are switched at birth and grow up a continent and an ocean apart, always feeling out of place -- until they meet each other on a 'round-the-world trip, looking for the place where they feel they belong.

And did you know that behind the scenes in the weeks preparing the program, if you had looked into MPR 3 you may have seen third graders from the red and gold classes working on the rhythms of their mochi pounding, or refining their fan movements for a firefly dance, both from Japan?

Did you know that third grade green students were creating their own special dance steps over a glass bottle in "La Botella" from Mexico, while fourth grade red students arranged a song from Senegal and a dance from Ghana. Fourth grade gold students wrote their own rap and choreographed their own steps for their "Dance Off" between the Devils and the Angels.

Did you know that while hunting a bear, fifth grade green students were practicing challenging Russian dance steps. And did you know that, thanks to special coaching from our own fifth grade teacher, Ron Morris, our fifth grade red and gold classes will be playing ukuleles while they sing for each other's Hawaiian dances?

Of course we have not left out China! The eighth grade Chinese Music class will share two pieces, followed by our intermediate and advanced Chinese Music Ensembles. They will grace the program with two pieces, one traditional and one modern. CAIS alumnus and award-winning yangqin player, Reylon Yount will contribute a moving yangqin solo, and our fifth through eighth grade Music Ensembles round out the program by providing live accompaniment for the balance of the third and fourth grade pieces.

There's even more, but -- you'll have to be there to see it! All are welcome, this is an all-community event. See you at Herbst Theatre next Thursday!

Additional Chinese for Adults Class Added

Looks like our community is enthusiastic about learning Chinese. Due to the high level of interest for our Adult Chinese class, we are opening an additional section. This second class will begin at 4:00 and end at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. The first class will take place next Wednesday, December 8.

There's still time to register for the new 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. section, please click here to download registration form and return to either the front desk at either campus or directly to the Auxiliary Programs office.

Cost for the 12-week class is $190 and will take place at our Oak Street campus.

Childcare will be provided, free of charge, from after school until 5:10 p.m. If you have a Pre-K child she/he may stay at the Waller Street campus for childcare until after your class.

Scholastic and Chinese Book Fair Ends Friday

The Scholastic Book Fair and Chinese Book Fair ends tomorrow, Friday, December 3. Stop by any time between 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the lower level library of our Oak Street campus. Can't make it before Friday? There will be a smaller fair at the Holiday Faire on Saturday, December 4.

This is a great opportunity to support our school by buying books just in time for the holidays. Please join us to make this Book Fair the BEST our school has ever seen.

Seventh and Eighth Grade Art Exhibit at SF Conservatory

A selection of brush painting pieces from our seventh and eighth graders will be on display at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music beginning Monday, December 6.


Our middle school art teacher, Marc Peron assisted brush painting teacher, Feng Chen with the framing of the delicate pieces, which will grace the walls of the Conservatory of Music through December 31.


The pieces reflect colorful interpretations of their dreams and pursuits through their paintings and will be viewed by the many people who come to the conservatory during the holiday season, including special guest, the director of the Shanghai Music Conservatory.


We encourage you to come see the beautiful artwork by our talented middle school students. The SF Conservatory of Music is located just one block from CAIS on the corner of Market and Oak Streets.

Director of Music and Movement Participates in National Conference

Susan Kennedy, Director of our Music and Movement program, participated in the American Orff Schulwerk Association national conference in Washington during the first week of November. While there she presented professional development sessions and served on the curriculum task force committee, which is revising the national guidelines for teacher certification courses.

December 14 Head of School Community Meeting

As we enter December, it's hard to believe we are in the fourth month of the 2010-2011 school year. The first months have been busy for our new Head of School; many conversations, learning of names, getting to know our students, observations and general learning.

In Head of School, Jeff Bissell's first communication to families in September, he outlined the framework for determining priorities and developing a plan for growing CAIS's educational program. This "learning" phase has progressed. Subsequently, he has taken what he has learned, identified themes as well as challenges, and is ready to report back to the community about what we, as a school have learned, what we feel the priorities are and what we should be focusing on during the next three to five years.

Please join us for a community meeting to talk about these themes and priorities on Tuesday, December 14. Event details are below.

What you need to know

• Tuesday, December 14 -- 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
• Lower Cafe of our Oak Street campus.
• Childcare is available, please contact Kevin Lee to make arrangements.

See you This Saturday at the Holiday Faire

Have fun, meet new people and let your children burn off their energy as they participate in numerous fun activities that are planned for this Saturday's Holiday Faire happening in the gymnasium.

On the fence about going? There's also a Hayes Valley street fair and sale happening on Saturday where participating Hayes Valley boutiques will have food, drink and special sales.

Proceeds from the Holiday Faire help fund year-round events including Teacher Appreciation activities, Back-to-School events/picnics, Family Camps and much more.

See you Saturday!

Looking for a Winter Break Activity? Hayes Valley Farm Event

The Hayes Valley Farm (located two blocks from our Oak Street campus on Oak and Laguna Streets) Youth Education Team would like to invite CAIS families to participate in our upcoming Winter Wonder Farm Day Camp during Winter Break.

Session One will be from December 20 to 23 and Session Two from December 27 to 30. Both weeks will be Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with half day morning options also available.

Children ages 3 to 13 are welcome for both sessions and the farm also encourages family support and participation.

This is an opportunity for your child to dig deeper into the world of urban farming while building relationships with other children in the community through land and arts-based experiences. For more information, visit www.HayesValleyFarm.com.

Lots of Turkey at CAIS

As always, the annual Thanksgiving celebration at Oak Street campus and the first-ever pie making activity at Waller Street were fun-filled ways to kick off the four-day weekend.

Click here for pictures from various classroom celebrations.

Password: please ask

Winter Program – Vital Info

Our annual Winter Program is happening next week, on Thursday December 9 at 6:00 p.m. at Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness. The performance is a great way to kick off the holiday season and watch our talented third, fourth, fifth and eighth graders as well as the sixth and seventh grade Music Ensemble and Dance Troupe perform.

Here's what you need to know:

• Winter Program begins at 6:00 p.m.
• Children need to arrive at 5:30 p.m., unless otherwise notified by your child's class.
• We have early admission for handicapped: please email Susan Kennedy no later than Tuesday, December 7 if you or a family member requires handicapped seating.

Annual Fund First - Huge Strides This Week

Two inspiring developments for the Annual Fund occurred this week.

• Two days ago, at a faculty and staff meeting, our beloved teachers and administrators stepped up to show their support for the Annual Fund, raising their participation level from 10% to 57%.
• Just yesterday, Pre-K Orange, after trailing behind for weeks, has taken the lead over Kindergarten Red with 82% class participation.

Who will be the first to 100% participation? The parents or the faculty/staff? And will Pre-K Orange go for the gold, or will another class come from behind and reach 100%?


Click here to see the full chart of participation.


Be sure that you're counted! To pledge or donate, please visit www.cais.org/giving.

Join our Kindergarten Parent Book Club

Start the New Year off with a CAIS book club for Kindergarten parents! Beginning January 12 at 8:30 a.m., the book club will meet every Wednesday for eight weeks. Come for tea and conversation. You are welcome even if you don't have a copy of the book.

Join other Kindergarten parents to read and discuss the well-worn and easy-to-read parenting manual, How to Talk so Children Will Listen and Listen So Children Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Maizlish. Share your own successes and challenges as we together explore the challenging world of parenting.

RSVP to Wendy Zacuto and if you need a copy of the book, arrangements can be made for a group purchase.

Middle Schoolers Want to Party Before Winter Break

Student Government is planning a middle school Winter Break party on December 16 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event will take place on the fourth floor middle school area and will include a white elephant gift exchange from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., dinner and screening of several fun holiday-themed movies that will be shown in various classrooms.

Students are not required to participate in the gift exchange, however if students wish to participate we ask that they bring a $5-$10 gift.

Movie List

• A Christmas Story
• Cool Runnings
• Elf
• Home Alone
• TBD

All five movies will be shown and students so choose to watch their preferred choice. There will also be food served and a $6.00 charge for entry to the event which helps offset security expenses.

Eighth Grade Service Learning Explores Multimedia Projects

During the first trimester, eighth graders participated in a Service Learning class as part of the Wheel program. They considered what service means to them, and then developed and completed art-as-service projects.


The results of this exciting exploration are now on display in the open space on the fourth floor. Students tackled such varied topics as global warming, time management, procrastination, the destruction of panda habitat and peer pressure. They created visually stunning messages, recorded songs, and made video PSAs, among other things.


Please stop by to check out their projects and maybe even strike up a conversation about service and community with some of the students.

Upcoming PA Council Meeting

Our next PA Council meeting is happening Tuesday, December 7 at 8:00 a.m. in Room 57B of our Oak Street campus.

We'll be hearing reports from the various Task Forces and discussing the happenings at the Holiday Faire.

All parents are welcome and encouraged to join the conversation.

No Rest for Champions!

For those with children participating in team sports, please note that regular after school practice sessions will run up until 5:00 p.m. on December 17.

Students Join Forces with Golden Gate National Parks

Middle school students joined with the Golden Gate National Parks Volunteer Program on Saturday, November 20 to help with a major planting project at Lands End in San Francisco. As part of an ongoing effort to restore habitat in this delicate, rugged and beautiful area, students planted native species, including coastal sage, lupine, yerba buena and coastal strawberry plants.

Along with representatives from the volunteer program and some regular volunteers our group planted 884 plants in two and a half hours, finishing just before the rain started pouring. Thank you to everyone who came out to volunteer! If you go to the newly opened parking lot at Lands End, you can see the plants we helped plant.

If you're interested in volunteering with this excellent program it runs every Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Lands End. Contact volunteer@parksconservancy.org

The Mandarin Center: Sharing Teaching Resources Just Got Easier!

We've redesigned the Mandarin Center and now it's quicker and easier to find what you need in the world of Chinese language resources.

Click here to find books, DVDs, literature reviews and more.

Upcoming Important Dates

Start of MS Second Trimester
Monday, November 22

Thanksgiving Holiday - No School
November 25-26

Film Screening and Discussion

This is rather late notice, but we thought we would let the community know about the opportunity to screen the documentary film Long Wait for Home by Dr. Changfu Chang, followed by a discussion of the film. The documentary looks at Americans adopting babies from China and the social, cultural and economic conditions that lead to the abandonment of children in China.

The film attempts to answer questions including: Who are the birth parents and under what circumstances do they decide to give away their babies? How do children end up in orphanages and what kinds of lives do they live there? What do the average Chinese people feel and think about international adoption?

The filmmaker interviews birth parents who share the hard decisions they have made and the emotional toll they have suffered and goes to orphanages and takes an intimate look at the living conditions of children usually inaccessible to film crews.

For those interested in viewing the film the free screening and reception is tomorrow, November 19 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at 300 Wheeler Hall on the University of California, Berkeley campus.

School Photo Retakes

For those of you whose children missed photo day, a retake day will be announced shortly. Thank you for your patience!

We Have Shifts to Fill

Have fun, meet new people and make a difference; consider volunteering for this year's Holiday Faire to build community and raise proceeds for year-round events including Teacher Appreciation activities, Back-to-School events/picnics, Family Camps and much more.

We have more than 100 shifts to fill in order to bring everyone an amazingly fun Holiday Faire. We have Friday evening set up positions, day of the event set up, face painters, hair wrappers, game referees and more.

It's easy to sign up online, simply click here and choose from a wide variety of fun jobs. We are looking forward to a fun-filled community event this year and we can't do it without your help. Please help us spread the word and encourage other families to volunteer. Thanks!

Come Cheer CAIS Roboteers at San Francisco First Lego League Tournament

Come out and support the first-ever CAIS First LEGO League team in the only SF tournament on Saturday, November 20 at Notre Dame des Victoires at 659 Pine near the Stockton Sutter garage.

The tournament runs from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and everyone is welcomed and encouraged to attend. The featured events are the competitions for the robots that the teams have built using LEGO Mindstorms. All the robot competitions are open to the public, but the teams are also judged on a research project presentation, robot design and programming and teamwork. If you or your kids love LEGOs, this is the event for you! The ONLY local tournament is the qualifier at Notre Dame des Victoires. If the CAIS team advances to regionals, they will travel to Sacramento. So come cheer the team on!

FIRST LEGO League is an international competition that develops critical skills in science and technology in a super-charged learning atmosphere, with competitions modeled on sports tournaments. Teams of 9 to 14-year-olds design, build, program and test an autonomous LEGO Mindstorms robot along with a project developed as a solution to a real world problem developed with experts (this year's theme is Bioengineering). The competition involves students, teachers, mentors and coaches - and this year, this means more than 14,000 teams in over 50 countries. There are 383 teams in the NorCal division, but only seven from SF itself. Come join the fun this Saturday!

To learn more about the First LEGO League Challenge, click here.

CAIS team members include Audrey Connell (7th), Peter Huang (7th), Katy Woo (7th), Elizabeth Wu (7th), Owen Collier (6th), Erik Connell (5th), Katherine Wu (5th).

Pennies Weighing you Down? Bring ‘em to School!

Student government is organizing a coin drive to help build a school in Kenya through Free the Children charity. The drive began on Monday and continues through December 16. Coins are being collected in a container on the fourth floor open space and in the library on the third floor.

The goal is to collect $750 and student government has committed to match the amount raised.

At last glance, the container on the fourth floor was beginning to fill with not only coins, but paper dollars. If you would like to help student government with this worthy cause, please send your child to school with pocket change and we'll take it off your hands!

Deadline to Register for Adult Chinese Class is Tomorrow!

The Auxiliary Program is excited to offer a beginning level Chinese class for adults class starting Wednesday, December 1 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

During the 12-week course, you will learn basic Pinyin and simplified characters, pronunciation and tones. Additionally, you will also start to understand and speak Chinese through everyday terms/language. Through conversations, and listening exercises/activities, you will be able to grasp everyday terms/language for greetings, asking for directions, introductions and asking for help. This class will be taught be Ping Xue, our very experienced Pre-K teacher.

Added benefits of taking the class? You will gain an understanding of what your children are speaking at school and may even be able to read them a bedtime story!

Do you also need childcare while you are attending class? Childcare during the time of the class is covered by the class fee.

To register, click on the registration form here and return to either the Oak or Waller campus receptionist desk by November 19.

Our first class will meet on Wednesday, December 1 and will continue through March 16. The class will meet on the following days:

• December 1,8, 15
• January 5,12, 19
• February 2, 9, 16
• March 2,9, 16

If there is interest to continue with the class after the 12-week course is complete, we will continue with a second session. Classroom is to be determined.

• Instructor: Ping Xue
• Class Fee: $190
• Time/Day: 5:00 -- 6:00 p.m., Wednesdays
• Grades: Adults only

Bring a Can or Box to School

The annual Holiday Food Drive has been underway for two weeks and already a few of the bins are filled to capacity. The drive continues through December 14 and we're hoping to collect over 1,000 pounds of food for the San Francisco Food Bank to help feed our city's homeless population during the holiday season. Give once, give twice or give weekly.

Bins can be found at the entrance to our Oak Street campus, in the PA corner and on the fourth floor near the middle school open space.

We Need Your UNICEF Trick-or-Treating Boxes

We have received good returns from the Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF activity so far and we want to extend thanks to all who participated. For those of you who still have the boxes and donations, please return them to the classroom before Thanksgiving.

Fourth Grade Art Debuts at Asian Art Museum

Thanks to everyone who participated in last Sunday's fourth grade 'Life Lessons' art opening at the Asian Art Museum. Our young artists were excited to show everyone their works of art they created.


Photos from the art opening event can be found here.

Password: please ask

School Photos Now Available

School photos are available and boy, are they cute! Each family should have received an email with instructions on how to login and order photos, but just in case, the instructions can be found here.

The photo gallery will be up through December 1 and photo packages will be delivered to school no later than December 15.

A Generous Family Has Found a Cause: CAIS!

Two weeks ago, CAIS celebrated the generosity and support of Philip Yoh and Louise Hui at a dedication ceremony for the new middle school science lab named after the couple. Granduncle and aunt of CAIS students, Caroline and Alison Sheng (fifth and eighth grade, respectively), Mr. and Mrs. Yoh had been searching for a worthy cause to invest their time and money to support. Upon hearing about the good work that CAIS does from Trustee Karen Hui, they travelled from their home in Las Vegas to tour CAIS. After much consideration, they proudly decided to make CAIS a priority in their lives.


This year, Mr. and Mrs. Yoh funded the building of our new science lab, creating more space for the middle school to explore and experiment. The new lab connects to the existing Washington Sycip Laboratory, and with the new layout, teachers Susan Sherman and Mark Churchill can take advantage of both labs in teaching their students.This gift by Mr. and Mrs. Yoh also frees up space for the lower school science program to grow.


At the dedication ceremony, the couple expressed their sheer delight for the impact their gift had made on CAIS and surprised Jeff Bissell with a check to CAIS. We thank Philip Yoh and Louise Hui for their firm commitment to our mission and look forward to their continued partnership.

Be Counted Today!

Since 1999, the Freeman Foundation has generously supported our community with gifts totaling over $4.8 million. CAIS is preparing to submit a grant report to the Freeman Foundation by December 10, and the more supporters we can represent in the report, the more likely they are to continue their giving, providing such necessities as professional development and tuition assistance. If you haven't already, please consider making a pledge or gift to the Annual Fund by December 6, so we can add one more to our list of supporters and make a bigger impact.

Ready to make a gift now? Click here.

If you are not ready to make a gift today, you may make a pledge specifying an amount to be fulfilled on a future date (payable by June 30, 2011). Please remember to send in your pledge form or fill out the online version here, even if you've made a verbal pledge to your Class Captain.

Lower School Reads for an Audience

Beginning last Friday, various lower school classes have presented their spoken works in Chinese and English to demonstrate their writing and oratory skills.


Reading celebration events continue through next Tuesday. Click here to download a schedule. Everyone is encouraged to come to the events.

Tutoring Program in Full Swing

Last week 20 middle school students completed a three-session tutor training program and are now working with lower school students in a variety of areas, with a special focus on reading in Chinese and English. If you are interested in having a middle school tutor work with your child, please talk with your child's classroom teacher. This exciting program brings students together to build academic skills, boost confidence and strengthen our school community.

Congratulations to the following tutors: Alvan Cai, Robert Leachman, Benjamin Lee, Maxwell Wang, Erica Wong, Ivan Jutamulia, Bailey Lanman, Kelsey Rasmussen, Jeremy Strang, Alison Tong, Gabby Wong, Siena Belda, Jonathan Chen, Jadie Chi, Avery Chung-Melino, Lena denBroeder, Brian Fong, Reika Goh, Jaclyn Lee and Irene Wang.

Pennies Weighing you Down? Bring ‘em to School!

Student government is organizing a coin drive to help build a school in Kenya through Free the Children charity. The drive began on Monday and continues through December 16. Coins are being collected in a container on the fourth floor open space and in the library on the third floor.

The goal is to collect $750 and student government has committed to match the amount raised.

At last glance, the container on the fourth floor was beginning to fill with not only coins, but paper dollars. If you would like to help student government with this worthy cause, please send your child to school with pocket change and we'll take it off your hands!

Golden Gate National Parks Volunteer Opportunity for MS Students

Middle school students are invited to help restore critical habitat at Lands End in San Francisco this Saturday, November 20 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

A representative from the Golden Gate Parks National Volunteer Program will lead students in important environmental work. This volunteer opportunity was enjoyed by all who attended last year. Please contact Veronica Reilly if your middle school student is interested in attending, or if you would like to help chaperone this event.

Tutoring Program in Full Swing

Last week 20 middle school students completed a three-session tutor training program and are now working with lower school students in a variety of areas, with a special focus on reading in Chinese and English. If you are interested in having a middle school tutor work with your child, please talk with your child's classroom teacher. This exciting program brings students together to build academic skills, boost confidence and strengthen our school community.

Congratulations to the following tutors: Alvan Cai, Robert Leachman, Benjamin Lee, Maxwell Wang, Erica Wong, Ivan Jutamulia, Bailey Lanman, Kelsey Rasmussen, Jeremy Strang, Alison Tong, Gabby Wong, Siena Belda, Jonathan Chen, Jadie Chi, Avery Chung-Melino, Lena denBroeder, Brian Fong, Reika Goh, Jaclyn Lee and Irene Wang.

Middle School Students Partner with John Muir Elementary School Afterschool Program

Two graduates of the middle school tutor training program are working with the Director of Service Learning and Diversity Education, Veronica Reilly, to support the John Muir Elementary School Afterschool Program. This program offers academic and enrichment opportunities for low income public school students in our neighborhood from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. each day.

Our students have been able to offer academic support and have started to get to know the students in the program. We hope to expand our partnership with John Muir Elementary over the coming year.

Interested middle school students should contact Veronica Reilly to get involved.

We Have Shifts to Fill

Have fun, meet new people and make a difference; consider volunteering for this year's Holiday Faire to build community and raise proceeds for year-round events including Teacher Appreciation activities, Back-to-School events/picnics, Family Camps and much more.

We have more than 100 shifts to fill in order to bring everyone an amazingly fun Holiday Faire. We have Friday evening set up positions, day of the event set up, face painters, hair wrappers, game referees and more.

It's easy to sign up online, simply click here and choose from a wide variety of fun jobs. We are looking forward to a fun-filled community event this year and we can't do it without your help. Please help us spread the word and encourage other families to volunteer. Thanks!

Still Looking for Restaurant Vendors

Do you own a restaurant or know of someone who does? Well this will be a great opportunity for them to show case their fine foods at the Holiday Faire! They can simply donate food to this event and their restaurant will be promoted before and during the event and they will also receive a tax donation receipt for their contribution. Deadline for restaurant participation is Monday, November 22.

Please contact Ida Kwan if you have a lead or idea about a restaurant that would be a good partner.

All proceeds generated from the Holiday Faire will benefit Teacher Appreciation events, Chinese New Year Float, School Picnics, Back-to-School Events, Family Camps, Ski Weekend and more.

Cross Country Running to Victory

Our Firedragon fifth and sixth grade boys cross country teams both came in second at a recent race and the girls fifth and sixth grade team placed third and combined boys and girls seventh/eighth grade team placed fourth.

Top Firedragon finishers were Ian Browne (third), Peter Carroll (fifth), Andrew Chen (sixth), Claire Jackson (second), Jaime Lau (fifth), Claire Lau (sixth), Adam Thiebault-Shay (seventh) and Lizzy Wu (fourth).

Run Firedragons, run!

2010 Season Volleyball Champions!

Our Firedragon varsity girls volleyball team won the Championship last week against Katherine Delmar Burke School, making them the champions of the SFAL league! The team remained undefeated the entire season.



Congratulations also goes to the JV-7 squad who played a very skilled and technical game against Lycee Francais in the JV Final. Our players won on skill, but lost in points but such a small margin. As a result of this game, JV-7 finished the regular season in second place and finished the final championship game in second. Not too shabby for our up and coming super stars!


Thank you all for supporting our CAIS athletes! Team sports are an integral part of the school experience.

Firedragon Soccer Champions

Not only did our volleyball team walk away with a championship, but our fifth grade Firedragons soccer team also won their division championship this past weekend in the SF Vikings League.


The team members from CAIS include Jarrett M., Berkeley L., Zachary L., Griffin N., Jakob R. and Joey S. as well as two former CAIS kids; Gabor P. and Olivia O.

Scholastic and Chinese Book Fair Next Week

Join us Monday, November 29 through Friday, December 3, for the Scholastic and Chinese Book Fair event in the lower level library of our Oak Street campus. You are welcome to browse the large selection of English and Chinese reading materials for children and families any time between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Can't make it to the library that week? There will be a scaled down version of the event at the Holiday Faire on Saturday December 4.

This is a great opportunity to support the school by buying books, with 50% of the profit going towards supplying books for the library and teachers' classrooms.

The event gives students access to books at affordable prices and makes reading a positive experience. Children are more likely to read the books they personally get to choose and it's a great way to motivate kids to read more. The more time children spend reading, the stronger their reading skills become.

Please join us to make this Book Fair the BEST our school has ever seen.

Upcoming Important Dates

Second Grade Parent Social
Friday, November 12

Fourth Grade Art Exhibit Opening at Asian Art Museum
Sunday, November 14

Eighth Grade SSAT
Thursday, November 18

Calling all Food Lovers!

Do you own a restaurant or know of someone who does? Well this will be a great opportunity for them to show case their fine foods at the Holiday Faire! They can simply donate food to this event and their restaurant will be promoted before and during the event and they will also receive a tax donation receipt for their contribution. Deadline for restaurant participation is Monday, November 22.

Please contact Ida Kwan if you have a lead or idea about a restaurant that would be a good partner.

All proceeds generated from the Holiday Faire will benefit Teacher Appreciation events, Chinese New Year Float, School Picnics, Back-to-School Events, Family Camps, Ski Weekend and more.

We Need Your Helping Hands for Holiday Faire

Have fun, meet new people and make a difference; consider volunteering for this year's Holiday Faire to build community and raise proceeds for year-round events including Teacher Appreciation activities, Back-to-School events/picnics, Family Camps and much more.


We are looking for a variety of volunteer positions including set up on Friday evening before the event, set up the day of the event, face painters, hair wrappers, game referees and more. It's easy to sign up to volunteer, simply click here and choose from a variety of fun positions.


We are looking forward to a fun, community event this year and we can't do it without your help.

Cartoonists, Engineers, Jewelers and Soccer Stars at CAIS

Last week during parent-teacher conferences, our Auxiliary Program offered new and fun ways for students to spend time at school above and beyond the regular childcare style "conference care" that is offered. Jewelry Designers, Cartooning, Soccer Clinics and Pre-engineering with LEGO were all fun ways for children to get creative, hone their skills, and for some, learn a new activity.

Auxiliary Program Director, Kevin Lee is quick to point out that these new classes are a great way to gauge interest with families and work with new teachers. Typically if the classes are well received, he will offer them during the regular enrichment program during the school year. We visited all the classes throughout the week and found a lot of fun happening all around us.




Cartooning
Teachers from the Cartoon Art Museum (by the way, if you haven't been to the museum, it's a San Francisco must and a great trip with your child) taught the basics in the art of cartooning. The creative process was fun to watch in the classes we observed. From engaging the students in the brainstorming process to giving them a specific task to draw to the finished product, we were impressed with what was created in a short period of time. The Cartoon Museum instructors were enthusiastic about the subject matter and made us want to grab pencil and paper and create our own villains alongside the students. Fun stuff!






Pre-engineering with LEGOS
From an urban farm to an airport complete with helicopters, there were a lot of things being created in this hands on LEGOS class. The instructor went over the step-by-step process in which to create each element and challenged the students to think about how things fit together and why they work the way they do. Boys and girls even learned how to make battery operated devices. There were some impressive things going on with the LEGOS that weren't around when we were kids! We wondered if a child could stay engaged for three hours of LEGOS fun, and after what we saw, we knew it was possible.





Jewelry
There were some serious jewelers in this class creating some pretty impressive pieces. The color choice, bead size and length were well thought out and with instruction by the teacher, the students had beautiful pieces to wear out the door.


We were struck by the amazing symmetry and color with which students worked, all with guidance by the instructor, but primarily created by the imagination and vision of the individual jeweler.





Soccer Clinic
Instructor, Leandro Cabrera's week long soccer clinic was a great introduction for those new to soccer, plus a good way for those soccer pros out there to learn more about technique, goalkeeping, passing and receiving. The instructor's goal and challenge of the program was to inspire kids from different age and levels. His My engaging and animated style created a fun atmosphere where kids were excited to play and not afraid of making mistakes. The students we watched in action respected each other's space and personalities and were having a great time practicing the techniques they had learned, while being able to run off all the boundless energy many of us adults wish we still had.

Now Parents Can Learn Chinese at CAIS Too!

The Auxiliary Program is excited to offer a beginning level Chinese class for adults class starting Wednesday, December 1 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

During the 12-week course, you will learn basic Pinyin and simplified characters, pronunciation and tones. Additionally, you will also start to understand and speak Chinese through everyday terms/language. Through conversations, and listening exercises/activities, you will be able to grasp everyday terms/language for greetings, asking for directions, introductions and asking for help. This class will be taught be Ping Xue, our very experienced Pre-K teacher.

Added benefits of taking the class? You will gain an understanding of what your children are speaking at school and may even be able to read them a bedtime story!

Do you also need childcare while you are attending class? Childcare during the time of the class is covered by the class fee.

To register, click on the registration form here and return to either the Oak or Waller campus receptionist desk by November 19.

Our first class will meet on Wednesday, December 1 and will continue through March 16. The class will meet on the following days:

• December 1,8, 15
• January 5,12, 19
• February 2, 9, 16
• March 2,9, 16

If there is interest to continue with the class after the 12-week course is complete, we will continue with a second session. Classroom is to be determined.

• Instructor: Ping Xue
• Class Fee: $190
• Time/Day: 5:00 -- 6:00 p.m., Wednesdays
• Grades: Adults only

Financial Aid for 2011-'12 School Year

This week every family should have received an email outlining the financial aid process for next school year. The process is straightforward and our Business Office is here to help if you run into any questions or problems.

For step-by-step directions to get started on the financial aid process, click here.

For financial-aid related questions, please contact the Business Office Business Office.

Don't Miss the Fourth Grade Art Exhibition Opening this Sunday

Please join the community for a reception for our fourth grade students and their families this Sunday, November 14 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. A special acknowledgment of the fourth grade students will take place at 2:00 p.m. in the Education Resource Gallery located on the first floor in the North Court of the Asian Art Museum.


The exhibition is connected to content from the Asian Art Museum's permanent collection and storytelling field trips program. Students responded to the questions, "What is a lesson that you have learned in your life?" and "What is a value that you believe in?" and from those questions, students created multimedia art works that tell a story and answer life questions that even many adults have a hard time answering.


Families will also have the opportunity to participate in the AsiaAlive interactive program that runs from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and learn about Nihonga, traditional Japanese painting, and create artwork to take home.


Admission is free for the fourth grade families, CAIS faculty, staff and trustees. Admission is also free for any children 12 and under. The Asian Art Museum is located at 200 Larkin St. across from City Hall in San Francisco's Civic Center.


If you have questions about the program or the reception, please contact lower school art instructor, Lisa Ostapinski.

Halloween Fun Run Proved to Be...Fun!

Thanks to all who participated in the Halloween Run/Walk for Schools event and a special thank you for super star parent coordinator, Shirley Tse.

Future cross country runners, first grader Devon Carlson ran the one-mile race with dad Steve and Kindergartner Mckenna Fong ran alongside her dad Robert. Pre-K student Jocelyn Park and her first grade brother Alton ran with mom Elaine Chow and dad Jung Park. We'll be sure to let our Athletics Department know to watch out for those two as soon as they're old enough for the cross country team!


The picture from the event was taken by Jung Park and not pictured is Pre-K Sabin Verplaetse's mom Michelle, who was busy running the 5K while dad Christoper and Sabin were cheering her on.

Scholastic and Chinese Book Fair Coming Your Way

Join us from November 29 through December 3, for the Scholastic and Chinese Book Fair event in the lower level library of our Oak Street campus. You are welcome to browse the large selection of English and Chinese reading materials for children and families any time between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. every school day.

Can't make it to the library that week? There will be a scaled down version of the event at the Holiday Faire on Saturday December 4.

This is a great opportunity to support the school by buying books, with 50% of the profit going towards supplying books for the library and teachers' classrooms.

The event gives students access to books at affordable prices and makes reading a positive experience. Children are more likely to read the books they personally get to choose and it's a great way to motivate kids to read more. The more time children spend reading, the stronger their reading skills become.

Please join us to make this Book Fair the BEST our school has ever seen.

Don't Miss the Fourth Grade Art Exhibition Opening this Sunday

Please join the community for a reception for our fourth grade students and their families this Sunday, November 14 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. A special acknowledgment of the fourth grade students will take place at 2:00 p.m. in the Education Resource Gallery located on the first floor in the North Court of the Asian Art Museum.


The exhibition is connected to content from the Asian Art Museum's permanent collection and storytelling field trips program. Students responded to the questions, "What is a lesson that you have learned in your life?" and "What is a value that you believe in?" and from those questions, students created multimedia art works that tell a story and answer life questions that even many adults have a hard time answering.


Families will also have the opportunity to participate in the AsiaAlive interactive program that runs from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and learn about Nihonga, traditional Japanese painting, and create artwork to take home.


Admission is free for the fourth grade families, CAIS faculty, staff and trustees. Admission is also free for any children 12 and under. The Asian Art Museum is located at 200 Larkin St. across from City Hall in San Francisco's Civic Center.


If you have questions about the program or the reception, please contact lower school art instructor, Lisa Ostapinski.

Body Positive Parent Education Night

This past Monday CAIS and FAIS parents attended an education event surrounding the topic of positive body image to help provide families ideas about how to implement healthy body images and positive relationships to food and exercise.

The presentation focused on the mixed messages children receive about what is healthy as well as media exploitation of boys and girls, campaigns financed by pharmaceutical companies and the overuse of "obesity" targeted at young girls and boys.

The discussion included advice about how to support children and adolescents around acceptance of diverse body types while promoting a balanced, healthy lifestyle.

If you couldn't attend the meeting and are interested in learning more about this subject, please contact school counselor, Sarah Voynow-Berman and she can provide you with information and tips about how to start a conversation with your child about positive body image.

First Through Fourth Grade Reading Presentations Happening

First through fourth grade students have been working hard on Chinese and English poetry, memoirs and spoken word to share with parents, students and teachers and they are ready to present their works to you.

The individual readings are spread out throughout two weeks starting with the fourth grade poetry celebration happening tomorrow, November 12 and will continue through Tuesday, November 23.

Please check here for a schedule of all reading events.

Body Positive Parent Education Night

This past Monday CAIS and FAIS parents attended an education event surrounding the topic of positive body image to help provide families ideas about how to implement healthy body images and positive relationships to food and exercise.

The presentation focused on the mixed messages children receive about what is healthy as well as media exploitation of boys and girls, campaigns financed by pharmaceutical companies and the overuse of "obesity" targeted at young girls and boys.

The discussion included advice about how to support children and adolescents around acceptance of diverse body types while promoting a balanced, healthy lifestyle.

If you couldn't attend the meeting and are interested in learning more about this subject, please contact school counselor, Sarah Voynow-Berman and she can provide you with information and tips about how to start a conversation with your child about positive body image.

Fall Extravaganza Afternoon of Fun

Our middle school students proved to be masters at bobbing for apples (as seen in picture), tug-of-war, musical chairs, dressing their teachers up to look like non-humans and more.


To see students in action, click here.
Password: please ask

Calling all Food Lovers!

Do you own a restaurant or know of someone who does? Well this will be a great opportunity for them to show case their fine foods at the Holiday Faire! They can simply donate food to this event and their restaurant will be promoted before and during the event and they will also receive a tax donation receipt for their contribution. Deadline for restaurant participation is Monday, November 22.

Please contact Ida Kwan if you have a lead or idea about a restaurant that would be a good partner.

All proceeds generated from the Holiday Faire will benefit Teacher Appreciation events, Chinese New Year Float, School Picnics, Back-to-School Events, Family Camps, Ski Weekend and more.

We Need Your Helping Hands for Holiday Faire

Have fun, meet new people and make a difference; consider volunteering for this year's Holiday Faire to build community and raise proceeds for year-round events including Teacher Appreciation activities, Back-to-School events/picnics, Family Camps and much more.


We are looking for a variety of volunteer positions including set up on Friday evening before the event, set up the day of the event, face painters, hair wrappers, game referees and more. It's easy to sign up to volunteer, simply click here and choose from a variety of fun positions.


We are looking forward to a fun, community event this year and we can't do it without your help.

Basketball Season is Around the Corner

Just as the Firedragon volleyball teams are heading into the finals, basketball season is starting to ramp up. The season begins Monday, November 15 for all fifth through eighth grade students and will continue through the second week of February. The teams will compete in the SFA League with 13 other San Francisco-based schools.

Practices will be held daily the week of November 15 from 3:45-5:00 p.m. in the gym. (Future team practice dates will be determined by the players and coaches of each team ASAP.)

Fifth grade participants will be picked up from Extended Day at 3:40 p.m. (on days they are available) and returned at 5:00 p.m.

If your child is interesting in participating in a challenging and fun team building sport, please contact Athletic Director, Debbie Talbot for details.

Annual Fund First - Be the First to Reach 100% Class Participation

Thank you to all the parents who have pledged to the Annual Fund. We have already garnered $372,523 with 42% participation.

Every parent's donation makes a difference at CAIS. This year, we hope to achieve 100% parent participation. If you cannot give at this time, but you know how much you would like to give in the future, please make a pledge here so that you can be counted!




Last year, we celebrated the first classes that reached 100% participation by passing balloons out to the students. Which class will be the first to reach 100% this year? At 70% participation, Kindergarten Red is narrowly taking the lead with Pre-K Gold and Fourth Grade Red right behind!


Click here to see the full chart.


To pledge or donate, please visit www.cais.org/giving.

Double the Impact of Your Giving with an Employee Match

Many companies in the Bay Area are dedicated to philanthropy and have established matching gift programs to encourage giving in their employees. Does your employer have a matching gift program? If so, you could double or even triple the impact of your gift!

To find out if you qualify, check out our new matching gift search feature here.

Scholastic and Chinese Book Fair Coming Your Way

Join us from November 29 through December 3, for the Scholastic and Chinese Book Fair event in the lower level library of our Oak Street campus. You are welcome to browse the large selection of English and Chinese reading materials for children and families any time between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. every school day.

Can't make it to the library that week? There will be a scaled down version of the event at the Holiday Faire on Saturday December 4.

This is a great opportunity to support the school by buying books, with 50% of the profit going towards supplying books for the library and teachers' classrooms.

The event gives students access to books at affordable prices and makes reading a positive experience. Children are more likely to read the books they personally get to choose and it's a great way to motivate kids to read more. The more time children spend reading, the stronger their reading skills become.

Please join us to make this Book Fair the BEST our school has ever seen.

Upcoming Important Dates

Sibling Application Deadline
Friday, October 29

SSAT Review Session
Friday, October 29

Professional Development Day - No School
Monday, November 1

Parent-Teacher Conferences - No School
November 2-4

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF this Year

One of the many ways CAIS participates in giving back is the annual UNICEF trick-or-treating drive on Halloween. It's an easy way to show your child how simple it is to raise money for a great cause. First through sixth grade students have been given individual boxes to take with them trick-or-treating to raise money as they go door-to-door.

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF will raise funds to help save children's live in over 150 countries and territories through immunization, education, health care, nutrition, clean water and sanitation.

Please help your children collect money for other children and return the donation boxes with the donated money to your child's classroom during parent-teacher conferences next week or the week of November 11.

If you need an extra donation box or more information, please contact Warren Wright, who is coordinating the effort.

Annual Holiday Food Drive – It's Time to Give

The annual Holiday Food Drive begins on Wednesday, November 10 and will continue through December 14.


This is a Student Government effort and they will be working hard to collect their goal of over 1,000 pounds of food for the San Francisco Food Bank. Give once, give twice or give weekly. It's a great way to help the city's homeless population during the holiday season.


Bins can be found in the PA corner and on the fourth floor near the middle school open space.

Still Time to Run or Walk for CAIS on Halloween

If you're looking for a fun family event during the day on Halloween and want to join in with other CAIS families, check out the San Francisco Halloween Run/Walk for Schools event happening this Sunday, October 31. It's a great way to get exercise (or train for those students on the Firedragon cross country team!), hang out with other CAIS families and raise money for the school.

The one-mile run starts at 8:30 a.m. and the 5k run starts at 9:00 a.m. The CAIS meeting area is near the registration tables at JFK and Middle Drive.

If you cannot make it to race day on October 31, but would like to pledge, please email your name, address, telephone number and pledge amount to parent coordinator, Shirley Tse. Please also indicate if receipts are needed. shirls8@hotmail.com

Entry form and event details are available here.

Additional details about the race can be found here.

Got a Great Idea? We Need ‘Em!

Do you have an idea of that special item you think our community will love? Ornaments? Food items? Handmade soaps? The sky's the limit for possibilities of things to sell at this year's Holiday Faire.

If you know vendors that have a great product that's conducive to sell at the Holiday Faire, please send them our way. They need not be connected to our community, they just have to have appealing and unique items that will sell. The PA is charging only $100 per table and table, chair and table cloth is provided.

Please send all ideas or inquiries to Harry Eng or Judy Chan Farmer.

Holiday Faire Needs you!

Our annual Holiday Faire is quickly approaching on Saturday, December 4 and we need your enthusiasm, helping hands and great ideas.

Please go to online volunteer page and sign up to assist during the event. Set up starts on Friday, December 3 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and we also need help on the day of the event starting at 8:00 a.m. as well as during and clean up.

If you would like to get involved with this fun community-building event, please sign up online here. here. It's easy! Simply input your information and check "Holiday Faire" as one of the events in which you would like to volunteer and a member of the PA will contact you.

Eighth Grade Art on Display at Hayes Valley Gallery

As part of our multicultural approach to art projects, middle school art teacher, Marc Peron featured a unit on art surrounding the upcoming Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos holiday and asked his eighth grade students to create their own skulls, which is a traditional medium of art used to honor deceased family members in Latin American cultures during the holiday.


You can view the eighth grade Day of the Dead art on display at Polanco Gallery, located around the corner from CAIS at 393 Hayes Street, directly across from Absinthe.

Like to Read? Looking for Parent Readers

Parents are encouraged to come to the library to read stories in either English or Chinese to the Kindergarten through second grade classes. It's an enriching experience for both parents and students to hear stories from our community members and they're always excited to have a special guest.

Thanks to all the parents who have read to classes so far.

The Family Dinner - Complimentary Foodie Event

Greg Dalton, Founder of Climate One at The Commonwealth Club and father of first grader Claire Dalton, has generously offered to host 15 parents and/or kids at a "Dinner with Laurie David" on Tuesday, November 9.


If you are interested, send an email to climateone@testlabs.com before all the tickets are gone.


Laurie David is the producer of Al Gore's Academy Award-winning 'An Inconvenient Truth", and author of The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time. Join her for a conversation about how the slow and local food movements have demonstrated the joys of thoughtful food choices and consumption. Laurie David puts the spotlight on families and offers easy and fun ways for parents and children to come together around meals. "Dinner" is the topic, but no food will be served.

• Date: Tuesday, November 9 - Reception at 5:30 p.m., Program at 6:00 p.m.
• Location: Downtown San Francisco
• Details: Reserve a ticket: climateone@testlabs.com for more info, click here.
  
  

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  Register for Vacation Care for Next Week – Deadline is Friday
  

  In addition to regular childcare next week, we are offering a variety of fun, age appropriate classes for students. Your child could become a soccer aficionado, jump start his or her engineering 'career' with Legos, become a master jeweler or hone skills in cartoon art.

  We are also offering childcare Monday through Friday, or you may choose to pay on a per day basis. The flat rate is $80 per day for childcare and prices for classes vary. See registration form for individual prices and class descriptions. Registration deadline is this Friday, October 29.

  What you should know:

  • Space is limited; please register by this Friday, October 29.
  • Fill out registration form and return with check to Oak Street reception desk.
  • Checks should be made payable to CAIS.
  • Children should bring a lunch and snacks will be provided.
  • There is no sibling (non-CAIS student) care available.

  We hope to continue to expand our vacation care offerings based on how children enjoy the variety of classes.

  
  

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Fifth Grade Poets Give Impressive Show

With poignancy humor and insight, poetry and haiku was shared in both English and Chinese at the fifth grade poetry celebration on Wednesday.


The students showed that they have been deep in thought out many different subjects that matter to them as individuals and delivered their thoughts both articulately and with expression. Each poet introduced him or herself and shared how he/she was inspired by in writing the piece and went on to share his or her work.


This is an annual event that showcases the fifth grade students' accomplishments in the poetry and haiku prose.

Fifth Grade PCM Program Underway

The fifth grade Peer Conflict Manager (PCM) group is in full swing. There was large response this year and the group, comprised of all fifth grade students will rotate so all can participate in the program throughout the school year.


The group meets every Friday to learn the essential skills to help their peers to solve non-physical conflicts that occur on the playground. The goal for the students is to use active listening and problem-solving skills to help their family and friends resolve common problems. After training sessions, which consist of role playing and lessons, the PCMs will pair up and go out on the playground during their assigned recess periods to help other students.


This program is a great way for the students to learn leadership and essential problem-solving skills that will be necessary not only on the playground, but in everyday life.

Fourth Grade Art Exhibition at Asian Art Museum Opens November 14

Over the course of the last month, fourth graders have been working on their pieces for the upcoming exhibition called Life Lessons at the Asian Art Museum. The exhibition opens November 14 and runs through January 31, 2010 and features multimedia art work from the entire fourth grade class.


Please join the community for a reception for our fourth grade students and their families on Sunday, November 14 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. A special acknowledgment of the fourth grade students will take place at 2:00 p.m. in the Education Resource Gallery located on the first floor in the North Court of the Asian Art Museum.


The exhibition is connected to content from the Asian Art Museum's permanent collection and storytelling field trips program. Students responded to the questions, "What is a lesson that you have learned in your life?" and "What is a value that you believe in?" and from those questions, students created multimedia art works that tell a story and answer life questions that even many adults have a hard time answering.


Admission is free for the fourth grade families, CAIS faculty, staff and trustees. Admission is also free for any children 12 and under. The Asian Art Museum is located at 200 Larkin St. across from City Hall in San Francisco's Civic Center.


If you have questions about the program or the reception, please contact lower school art instructor, Lisa Ostapinski.

Before School Starts – A Reminder

This is a reminder that second through fifth grade students are to meet in the Hickory yard if they arrive at school between 7:30 and 7:55 a.m. Our resident 'corral' expert, Warren Wright is always on the playground ready to greet your child and get them to their designated spot.

Children can go to their classroom between 7:30 and 7:55 a.m. ONLY if an adult/parent is with them.

This is policy is in place for the safety of your child. If they were to get hurt, there are no teachers on duty in the classrooms at that time of the day.

Thanks for reminding your child to wait in the Hickory yard before school and adhering to our before school policy.

Sixth Grade Water Polo Star

Sixth grader, Olivia Price has been selected for the Diablo Water Polo girl's team to play in the 14-year-old and under National Tournament in Houston, Texas. This prestigious invitation only tournament is comprised of only 16 teams in the boys and girls divisions from all over the country. The teams have to qualify in their regional competition to be invited, and Olivia's team beat others from the region including Marin, Davis and Stanford. Olivia is the youngest and only 11-year-old on the girl's team.


Nice work, Olivia!

Eighth Grade Art on Display at Hayes Valley Gallery

As part of our multicultural approach to art projects, middle school art teacher, Marc Peron featured a unit on art surrounding the upcoming Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos holiday and asked his eighth grade students to create their own skulls, which is a traditional medium of art used to honor deceased family members in Latin American cultures during the holiday.


You can view the eighth grade Day of the Dead art on display at Polanco Gallery, located around the corner from CAIS at 393 Hayes Street, directly across from Absinthe.

All-American Scholar Scholarship Winner

Eighth grader Irene Wang truly is a well-rounded student. Two weeks ago we reported on her placing in photography and brush painting competitions as well as Chinese dance. Now we've learned that Irene has been selected as one of the All-American Scholar Scholarship winners. Irene was chosen based on academic performance, personal motivation, classroom attitude, dependability, leadership qualities and enthusiasm for education.

The scholarship is in the form of a cash grant. Congratulations, Irene!

Got a Great Idea? We Need ‘Em!

Do you have an idea of that special item you think our community will love? Ornaments? Food items? Handmade soaps? The sky's the limit for possibilities of things to sell at this year's Holiday Faire.

If you know vendors that have a great product that's conducive to sell at the Holiday Faire, please send them our way. They need not be connected to our community, they just have to have appealing and unique items that will sell. The PA is charging only $100 per table and table, chair and table cloth is provided.

Please send all ideas or inquiries to Harry Eng or Judy Chan Farmer.

Holiday Faire Needs you!

Our annual Holiday Faire is quickly approaching on Saturday, December 4 and we need your enthusiasm, helping hands and great ideas.

Please go to online volunteer page and sign up to assist during the event. Set up starts on Friday, December 3 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and we also need help on the day of the event starting at 8:00 a.m. as well as during and clean up.

If you would like to get involved with this fun community-building event, please sign up online here. here. It's easy! Simply input your information and check "Holiday Faire" as one of the events in which you would like to volunteer and a member of the PA will contact you.

PA Monthly Meeting Change

Calling all CAIS parents! Based on your feedback, we will move some PA monthly meetings to the evening to accommodate differing schedules.

The November meeting has been changed to Wednesday, November 10 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Room 57B of our Oak Street campus.

If you are interested in understanding how the PA is achieving its 2010-2011 goals, please join in the conversation!

Childcare is available, please contact Director of Auxiliary Programs, Kevin Lee to secure a spot. To see what was covered in last month's meeting a summary can be found here.

Volleyball Teams in Playoff Contention

It's not just the Giants who are heading into post season games; our Firedragons volleyball teams are in playoff contention, which will be decided upon at today's last regular season game against San Francisco School.

The varsity team is undefeated with a 7-0 record; JV-7 is 5-1 and JV-6 is 2-4.

Stay tuned!

Firedragons Kick Some Dust!

With more than 150 students competing from various San Francisco schools, the combined CAIS cross country teams truly kicked some dust at this past Monday's meet at Lake Merced.


Next up are the finals held at the Golden Gate Park polo fields on Monday, November 8.

Seventh/Eighth Grade Boys

• 10th Place -- Adam Theriault-Shay

• 6th Place -- Lizzy Wu
• 8th Place -- Tatum Talbot

• 2nd Place -- Andrew Chan
• 4th Place -- Ian Browne
• 5th Place -- Peter Carroll

• 1st Place -- Claire Jackson
• 4th Place -- Jamie Lau
• 5th Place -- Claire Lau

The Pecking Order of Giving

Most of you have probably received a letter in the mail about the Annual Fund. Upon opening your letter, you might be scratching your head, thinking: 'Okay, wait... there's ShowCAIS, there's Annual Fund. What should I give to?' To help you prioritize your giving to CAIS, here is a short list of giving opportunities at CAIS.

Yearly Giving Opportunities (The stuff that impacts our programs on a day-to-day basis):

The Annual Fund

The Annual Fund covers the gap between tuition and the operating expenses of the school and its programs. Full community support for the Annual Fund helps us garner interest from foundations and other outside sources. The Annual Fund is the starting point for the culture of giving at CAIS. Before any other giving opportunity, please consider giving to the Annual Fund First!

Volunteering
Yes, this is a giving opportunity, as much as any other. By giving your time to help, you make a difference in our community. You can fulfill your annual 40-hour commitment by volunteering with the Parent Association, in the classroom, or during special events, like...


ShowCAIS

Each year, dedicated CAIS parent volunteers work together with teachers and administrators to stage ShowCAIS, an evening of celebration, dining and entertainment, including a live and silent auction. In addition to raising funds for the school, ShowCAIS is an opportunity for our community to join together for fun and socializing. You may donate sponsorship dollars, sponsor a table, donate an item to the auction, purchase tickets and attend the event, and bid on auction items. If you can not make it to the event, you can participate in a number of ShowCAIS activities prior to the big day.

For more information about all our giving opportunities, including long-term and restricted giving, please visit our giving page.

Be a Part of ShowCAIS

Looking for more volunteer opportunities? Every year, parents come together to take part in the school's biggest community fundraising event -- ShowCAIS!

ShowCAIS volunteers know better than anyone that ShowCAIS can be a labor of love. It takes a village to put together this tremendous event each year. We have many volunteer opportunities from creating beautiful art projects with the students, to producing exciting auctions, to promoting the event at fun hallway parties!

Many parents help out year after year, but don't be shy if you've never helped with ShowCAIS before. If you haven't already, you can express interest in volunteering for ShowCAIS by updating your volunteer profile here.

Before you get started, we will contact you to schedule your volunteer orientation. Past volunteers, yes, that includes you too!

If you have any questions, please contact the school's event manager for ShowCAIS 2011, JP Lor in the Development Office.

Like to Read? Looking for Parent Readers

Parents are encouraged to come to the library to read stories in either English or Chinese to the Kindergarten through second grade classes. It's an enriching experience for both parents and students to hear stories from our community members and they're always excited to have a special guest.

Thanks to all the parents who have read to classes so far.

Upcoming Important Dates

Varsity Volleyball Game
Friday, October 22

Varsity Volleyball Game
Monday, October 25

Cross Country Race
Monday, October 25

JV Volleyball Game
Wednesday, October 27

Varsity Volleyball Game
Thursday, October 28

Please check our school calendar for details about upcoming events. The calendar is updated on a regular basis as events are created. Please check back regularly.

Don't Forget to Sign Up for Conferences

Many of you have already used our online sign-up system for upcoming parent-teacher conferences and for those who haven't please note that every family has until November 1 at 5:00 p.m. to sign up for a time slot.

Instructions are as follows:
• Go to: http://www.cais.org/events/
• Click on your child's section -- 'Lower School Parent Teacher Conferences'
• Click on the link for your child's class under the date for which you wish to sign up.
• Choose an available time slot and click the 'book this time slot' button.
• Enter your child's name, your email address, your name and a contact phone number and then click the 'book it' button.
• An email confirmation will be sent to you.
• If you need to change an appointment time after you have booked; first book another conference for the date/time you prefer; second use the search feature on the main page of the sign-up system to locate the conference you no longer need. Click the 'delete' link to release the booking so that another parent can book the time slot.

Sibling Application Deadline is Next Friday

Don't forget! This year's sibling application deadline is next Friday, October 29. The online application can be found under admission tab at our website followed by 'Applying to CAIS' link or by clicking here.

Please note: When you fill in the online application, you do not have to complete the essay questions, unless you would like to share comments about your CAIS experience with the Admission Committee. By typing a few XXX's in the available space, it will enable you to move from one page to the next in order to complete the application.

As with outside applicants the following documents are necessary:

• Copy of your child's birth certificate OR passport
• $100 application fee
• One current family picture with your child(ren) and parents/guardians.
• Completed confidential student evaluation form, please use the following link to download and print the student evaluation form for your child's preschool teacher/director to complete, if applicable. FYI, the due date for this form is January 14, 2011. This is a confidential evaluation and should be forwarded directly to us.

In November, you will receive an e-mail invite for you to select a date for your sibling's classroom evaluation visit. These will take place throughout November and December and they will be selected by you on a first come first serve basis.

Notice of the sibling decisions is January 28, 2011.

Come Run or Walk on Halloween for CAIS

If you're looking for a fun family event during the day on Halloween and want to join in with other CAIS families, check out the San Francisco Halloween Run/Walk for Schools event happening on Sunday, October 31. It's a great way to get exercise (or train for those students on the Firedragon cross country team!), hang out with other CAIS families and raise money for the school.

The one-mile run starts at 8:30 a.m. and the 5k run starts at 9:00 a.m. The CAIS meeting area is near the registration tables at JFK and Middle Drive.

If you cannot make it to race day on October 31, but would like to pledge, please email your name, address, telephone number and pledge amount to parent coordinator, Shirley Tse. Please also indicate if receipts are needed. shirls8@hotmail.com

Entry form and event details are available here.

Additional details about the race can be found here.

CAIS Participates in the Great California Shake Out

Thursday, 10-21 at 10:21 a.m., CAIS students, faculty and staff at both Oak and Waller Street campuses took part is a statewide earthquake drill organized to bring awareness throughout the state about earthquakes and how to prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes.

Classroom teachers spent a few minutes before the drill explaining why this is happening, who is participating and what needs to be done.

At Waller Street, the drill was done in a developmentally appropriate way with games where the teachers surprised the children and said 'drop and cover' a few times a day to practice leading up to the 'real' earthquake drill that occurred at 10:21 a.m.

If you would like to learn more about earthquake preparedness to help prepare your home and talk to your children about what to do if an earthquake were to occur, the Great Shake Out website has a wealth of information including videos, games, suggestions on how much food and water to have on hand and so much more. Please visit shakeout.org for more information.

See Speaking in Tongues in the East Bay

We've reported on several opportunities in the last year to screen the movie "Speaking in Tongues" at various venues throughout the Bay Area. Well, here's one more.

• When: Thursday, October 28, 2010
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Where: La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley
• Details: One-hour screening followed by a Q&A with the director. www.SpeakingInTonguesFilm.info

School Photos are on the Way

The photographers were here, they took pictures and are now sifting through all of the beautiful faces at CAIS and will make the photos available online in the next two weeks. We will let you know the URL and password to view and purchase pictures when it becomes available.

There will be a photo retake day scheduled for next month and it will cost $25. We will announce the date when it has been confirmed.

Third and Fourth Grade Tutoring Available - Sign Up Now

All middle school students will be trained as reading tutors, and will also be able to provide general homework help to third and fourth grade students. The tutors will complete their training on November 9 and tutoring sessions will commence the next day.

All tutoring will take place after school in the library. Third and fourth grade families can talk to their child's classroom teacher or to Veronica Reilly if they would like to sign their child up to receive tutoring from a middle school student.

Lower and Middle School Students Learn about Internet Safety

Let's face it, we can't hover over our children throughout the day, it's just not feasible. At school, we have the proper firewalls in place to block social networking sites, but what about those who have a smart phone or an iTouch? And what about computer time at home?

Fifth through eighth grade students recently participated in an Internet safety program designed for each individual grade level.

Fifth Grade

This class sets the groundwork for continuing education in the area of Internet safety that our technology teacher, Karan Wang will maintain.

Sixth Grade

The purpose of the sixth grade program was to equip children with information about the dangers of posting personal information online including the use of pictures and the dos and don'ts of social networking sites such as Facebook. There were several different topics discussed, all surrounding the use of social networking.

Seventh and Eighth Grade

This class reinforced and built upon past presentations the students have had about cyber bullying and appropriate social networking use. The damaging effects of cyber bullying was discussed as well as what constitutes bullying and how to come up with ideas to help problem solve and resolve conflicts before it gets to the cyber bullying stages.

We will continue to cover these topics across the fifth through eighth grades as the school year progresses.

Unity Through Sport Opportunity For Fourth Graders

Fourth grade girls have been invited to join a basketball team being organized by FAIS mother. It's a great way for CAIS fourth graders to continue to build relationships with our neighbors at FAIS; all through working in a team environment and honing those basketball skills.

Details are to be determined, however, practice will occur one day per week, with games on Saturdays and the team will play at the Presidio YMCA. Practice will commence after the last soccer game in mid-November. Specific details will follow as plans are finalized.

Please contact FAIS parent, Alison Jones if your fourth grader is interested in joining the team.

If you have questions from a CAIS perspective, Trisha Conroy's fourth grader, Madison has been involved with the FAIS soccer team and can offer information. Trisha.conroy@gmail.com.

Bamboo Flourishes around the Hallways

If you've stepped inside our Oak Street campus in the last two weeks, you wouldn't have been able to miss the many beautiful bamboo brush painting pieces that add color and depth to the first and third floor hallways. These art projects are the result of our third graders, whom recently completed a Chinese brush painting unit in art class.


Preparation for the unit began last year when the students viewed and discussed examples of traditional Chinese paintings of bamboo including the history and cultural significance of bamboo painting in China. Next, they drew bamboo from observation with pencil and painted with Western style watercolor paints.


This year, they produced several bamboo paintings on rice paper as well as on scrolls hung throughout first, third floor hallways as well as the library. Students also worked together to complete a large mural in the PA corner.


To complete these works, the students learned the step by step, traditional way to complete a painting of bamboo. In this way, the students experienced painting in two ways; the more Western, observational approach as well as a traditional, Chinese approach. The result? Pieces of art that meld East and West beautifully.

Golden Gate National Parks Volunteer Opportunity for Middle School Students at Lands End

Middle school students are invited to help restore critical habitat at Lands End in San Francisco on Saturday, November 20 from 1-4 p.m. A representative from the Golden Gate Parks National Volunteer Program will lead students in important environmental work. This volunteer opportunity was enjoyed by all who attended last year. Please contact Veronica Reilly if your middle school student is interested in attending, or if you would like to help chaperone this event.

Lower and Middle School Students Learn about Internet Safety

Let's face it, we can't hover over our children throughout the day, it's just not feasible. At school, we have the proper firewalls in place to block social networking sites, but what about those who have a smart phone or an iTouch? And what about computer time at home?

Fifth through eighth grade students recently participated in an Internet safety program designed for each individual grade level.

Fifth Grade

This class sets the groundwork for continuing education in the area of Internet safety that our technology teacher, Karan Wang will maintain.

Sixth Grade

The purpose of the sixth grade program was to equip children with information about the dangers of posting personal information online including the use of pictures and the dos and don'ts of social networking sites such as Facebook. There were several different topics discussed, all surrounding the use of social networking.

Seventh and Eighth Grade

This class reinforced and built upon past presentations the students have had about cyber bullying and appropriate social networking use. The damaging effects of cyber bullying was discussed as well as what constitutes bullying and how to come up with ideas to help problem solve and resolve conflicts before it gets to the cyber bullying stages.

We will continue to cover these topics across the fifth through eighth grades as the school year progresses.

PA Council Meeting Recap

For those of you who missed this Tuesday's monthly PA Council Meeting, below is a summary of topics discussed and decisions that were made. We encourage you to get involved and attend a meeting.

Key Decisions Made:

1)The PAC elected officers and an official expanded council roster:
• President: Kim Kwok
• Vice Presidents: Mary Martinez and Jenny Chang
• Treasurer: Brad Green
• Secretary: Fiona Smythe
• Expanded roster includes: Classroom Liaisons, eScrip, Holiday Faire, Picnics, CNY Parade, ShowCAIS, Welcome Committee and Family Camp

2) Parent Education Task Force (led by Paula Fleisher and Cynthia Harrison Barbera) is investigating the community's desires and collecting ideas for new events. Next task force meeting is Monday (10/25) 8:00 a.m. in 57A. All are welcome.

3) Communications Task Force (led by Jenny Chang) will be focused on fostering dialogue among CAIS stakeholders via three work areas: PA Council PR, Parent outreach, school outreach.

4) Fundraising Task Force will be working with the Development Office and the Community Building Task Force to determine the PA's role in fundraising and specific events such as ShowCAIS.

5) Community Building Task Force (led by Harry Eng) updated the group on upcoming events, including the Halloween Run and the Holiday Faire. The Task Force is gathering new ideas for a slate of events that are more culturally relevant and dynamic.

6) The Treasurer presented the 2010-2011 proposed budget.

7) Logistics for PA Community Meeting were discussed and a parent feedback mechanism was shared.

Action Items:

• Communications Task Force will identify new email contact for PAC which non-PAC members can access. More to come!
• Pledge to or sign up for the Halloween run by contacting Shirley Tse. Proceeds benefit CAIS!
• Holiday Faire volunteers needed - please sign up via Volunteer Database.
• New PA Budget will be distributed for discussion at next PA council meeting.
• Identify evening time slot for November PA meeting to accommodate parent interest in evening meetings.

Firedragon Cross Country Team Place at Monday's Race

Both Firedragon girls and boys finished well at Monday's cross country race.


Girls fifth and sixth grade came in third. Claire Jackson came in second; Jaime Lau, fifth; Claire Lau, eighth and Bryn Gillelen 21st.


Girls seventh and eighth placed third. Tatum Talbot came in eighth; Lizzy Wu, 13th; Adri DenBroeder 15th; Megan Ho 38th.


Boys fifth and sixth grade came in second place. Andrew Chan, second; Ian Browne, fourth; Peter Carroll, ninth; Erik Connell, 12th.


Boys seventh and eighth grade came in third place. Adam Therault-Shay, seventh; Bakari Smith 11th; Morgan Kwang, 15th; Jonathan Woo, 24th.


Click here to see the Firedragon cross country teams in action.
Password: please ask

Students Participate in Free the Children's Halloween for Hunger Campaign

Halloween for Hunger is an annual campaign that encourages young people to help alleviate hunger while raising awareness about local poverty. Eighth graders will be collecting food for the San Francisco Food Bank while they trick-or-treat. Did you know that one in five people in San Francisco struggle with getting enough to eat?

Feel free to stop by the fourth floor and make your own contribution to our food bank barrel any time after October 26.

Find out more by clicking on this link to our team's food drive page at the food bank. You can track our school's progress by going here.

Golden Gate National Parks Volunteer Opportunity for Middle School Students at Lands End

Middle school students are invited to help restore critical habitat at Lands End in San Francisco on Saturday, November 20 from 1-4 p.m. A representative from the Golden Gate Parks National Volunteer Program will lead students in important environmental work. This volunteer opportunity was enjoyed by all who attended last year. Please contact Veronica Reilly if your middle school student is interested in attending, or if you would like to help chaperone this event.

Upcoming Hayes Valley Farm Event

We received a lot of response from the announcement about the Hayes Valley Farm volunteer day that happened today, so we want to let you know about other upcoming events at our neighborhood urban farm. We'll continue to keep you updated as we learn about events.

This Saturday, October 23 the farm is hosting a Halloween event, complete with face painting, crafts, live music and more. Click here for more details.

Inclusive Schools Forum Event Happening Next Month

The upcoming LGBTQ Inclusive Schools Forums brings people together to talk about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer inclusion in the schools with other parents (LGBTQ and allies), teachers and administrators. Topics of conversation will include family diversity, gender roles, stereotyping and anti-bullying.

In the East Bay the forum will take place on Wednesday, November 3 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Malcolm X Elementary School in Berkeley.

The San Francisco forum will take place on Tuesday, November 16 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at McKinley Elementary School.

Please visit www.ourfamily.org for more information and to pre-register for the event (required).

Songs for Senegal Event Happening November 5

As part of their ongoing effort to support a school in Senegal, French American International School will be hosting a potluck and concert called Songs for Senegal on Friday, November 5. The potluck is from 5:30-6:30 p.m., followed by a concert that concludes at 8:00 p.m.

Our very own eighth grader, Irene Wang will be performing at the event. The potluck is $7 and concert tickets are $12 general admission and $5 for students and staff at FAIS and CAIS. Children under 5 are free.

Please join us for an exciting event to support a good cause!

Contact Elizabethc@frenchamericansf.org for more information.

Sibling Application Deadline is Next Friday

Don't forget! This year's sibling application deadline is next Friday, October 29. The online application can be found under admission tab at our website followed by 'Applying to CAIS' link or by clicking here.

Please note: When you fill in the online application, you do not have to complete the essay questions, unless you would like to share comments about your CAIS experience with the Admission Committee. By typing a few XXX's in the available space, it will enable you to move from one page to the next in order to complete the application.

As with outside applicants the following documents are necessary:

• Copy of your child's birth certificate OR passport
  
• $100 application fee
  
• One current family picture with your child(ren) and parents/guardians.
  
• Completed confidential student evaluation form, please use the following link to download and print the student evaluation form for your child's preschool teacher/director to complete, if applicable. FYI, the due date for this form is January 14, 2011. This is a confidential evaluation and should be forwarded directly to us.

In November, you will receive an e-mail invite for you to select a date for your sibling's classroom evaluation visit. These will take place throughout November and December and they will be selected by you on a first come first serve basis.

Notice of the sibling decisions is January 28, 2011.

Be a Child in a Language Before You Are an Adult

Music and Movement as Tools for the Communicative Method
It is one thing to ask a group of primary school children to jump around the room, making pointy ears next to the sides of their heads while singing a silly limerick about a rabbit. But what to make of a room full of adults with advanced degrees and successful professional careers doing the same thing? Active, multi-sensory musical teaching methods are known to be effective in teaching second languages to children, but what we have learned is that they are surprisingly even more successful with adults and high school students. Why is that? Read more here.


Join the Conversation


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