February 16, 2012

Week At-A-Glance

Professional Development Day, No School, Childcare Available
Friday, February 17

President's Day/February Break, No School, Childcare Available
February 20-24

School Resumes
Monday, February 27

Volunteers Recognized for Work on Wooly Pockets Project

Our parent volunteer, Vonceil Yara has been working with the Wooly Pockets organization throughout the project and recently heard from them after providing pictures of the progress of the garden. They were amazed with the progress and said our garden was one of the most beautiful they have seen so far. The organization has featured our garden on their website and can be found here.


Thanks to Vonceil, all the parent volunteers and our Pre-K teachers who have incorporated the garden into our student's everyday learning.

SpeakSF Parent Education Event Happening Tuesday, February 28

SpeakSF is an organization that brings parent education events on a variety of topics to communities of several independent schools around the city. Because CAIS is a participating school, all CAIS families, faculty and staff are invited to the SpeakSF speaker presentations that will happen throughout the school year. The next event is happening Tuesday, February 28.

Author and neuropsychiatrist Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., will speak about the impact of parenting on children’s brain development and the latest research about how young minds are wired and how they mature. Daniel Siegel is author of The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind.

Click here for details about the upcoming presentation and to learn more about SpeakSF.

If you have any questions about SpeakSF or upcoming events, please contact CAIS parent organizer, Patricia Martell

Self-portrait and 30th Anniversary Orders Available for Pick-up

For those of you who ordered self-portrait and 30th anniversary items through the Parents Association, your orders are waiting for you in the Auxiliary Program office room 158 directly behind the Oak Street front desk.

There are boxes of items that are bundled by order, feel free to come by anytime before the end of February and claim your items.

For those of you who didn’t get at chance to order and are interested, there are extra self-portrait items listed for sale on the CAIS Community Wiki.

If you haven’t checked out the CAIS Community Wiki, you’re missing out. This community run web page includes all of the great things that happen at CAIS, that aren’t classroom-based that you would find on Veracross. Soccer leagues, parent education events, photos, after school activities and more. If you did not receive your wiki invitation and wish to be part of the conversation, please go to CAIS Community Wiki here .

CLTAC Mandarin Speech Contest Registration Open

Each year, the Chinese Language Teachers Association of California (CLTAC) hosts a Mandarin speech contest, in which many CAIS students choose to participate. The 37th CLTAC Mandarin Speech Contest will be held at Lowell High School on Saturday, April 14. The registration fee is $10 per contestant and the registration deadline is March 23.

More information about the speech contest as well as rules and registration procedures can be found here.

If you have questions about the speech contest that you cannot find via the website, please contact contest chair, Professor Zhiqiang Li

Chinese New Year Parade a Huge Success

It was an amazing day at the Chinese New Year parade this past Saturday, February 11. Congratulations to parent volunteers, Lisa Tam and Brad Sugarman for their leadership and to Lynda Sak from the PA Council for coordinating volunteers and sewing the costumes.The weather was perfect as students and parents came together to celebrate Chinese New Year and represent CAIS at the largest Chinese New Year parade in the United States.

The parade crowds were treated to 40 CAIS students who proudly marched with the handmade 30-foot dragon created with the help of every single student at CAIS. Special thank you to art teacher, Marc Peron and Lisa Ostapinski for help constructing the dragon. Thank you to all the CAIS families that volunteered time to help prepare the costumes and parade props and coordinate the marching contingent.

CAIS Students Enter City Science Fair at Randall Museum

The Randall Museum is hosting the city's science fair and five CAIS students have submitted entries this year. If you haven’t been to the Randall Museum, it’s a fun activity to explore the integrated art and science program that focuses on the cultures and environment of the Bay Area.


For those interested in seeing the science fair entries, members of the public are welcome to view the projects during regular museum hours (10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday) between Friday, February 24 and Friday, March 2.


For more information and directions to the museum, click here.

Your Participation Matters - Annual Fund First

Parent giving is creeping up to nearly $600,000 in donation back to CAIS with 78% of parents having donated.

Every gift, no matter how big or small, makes a different and helps us further the CAIS mission. For those who are still considering a gift, please join this community effort and help us achieve our goal of 100% parent participation in the Annual Fund drive.

From professional development, to science and athletic equipment, to musical instruments from around the world, the Annual Fund gives our school the tools needed to prepare our students for a complex, global society.

Thank you to our new donors this week: William and Maile Choy and Annika Kahn.

Before all other giving opportunities, please consider giving to Annual Fund First.

Get Your Name in the ShowCAIS Invitation

Each year, ShowCAIS is made possible with the support of generous sponsors from our community who underwrite the costs of the event, allowing the school to raise even more funds.

Sponsors receive an assortment of benefits, including a listing in the ShowCAIS invitation and program, tickets to the event and ad space in the program. Our gold sponsors will receive complimentary valet parking for all their guests.

If you are interested in becoming a ShowCAIS sponsor, please fill out this form and return it to the school. Sponsorships must be received by Thursday, February 23 to be listed in the invitation. Sponsorships received by March 30 will be listed in the event program. General tickets will go on sale in March.

ShowCAIS takes place on May 12 at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco. Questions? Please contact ShowCAIS.

Volunteers Recognized for Work on Wooly Pockets Project

Our parent volunteer, Vonceil Yara has been working with the Wooly Pockets organization throughout the project and recently heard from them after providing pictures of the progress of the garden. They were amazed with the progress and said our garden was one of the most beautiful they have seen so far. The organization has featured our garden on their website and can be found here.


Thanks to Vonceil, all the parent volunteers and our Pre-K teachers who have incorporated the garden into our student's everyday learning.

Oceans Come to CAIS After School

Students participating in the Oceans After School enrichment class were treated to pieces of the ocean during class last week with a visit from sea creatures. See below to watch the full experience.

The enrichment class - led by educators from the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary – teaches second through fourth grade students about sharks, salmon, seabirds, whales, squid, sea turtles and the ocean world.

Soccer Uniforms Available for Order

For those of your whose children are involved in the outside soccer leagues, uniforms can be ordered online here click here.

Community Awards Given in Lower School

Community awards were handed out at the monthly lower school assembly this past week, where the focus of this month’s assembly was kindness and sportsmanship.

This month’s community awards were given to the following lower school students:

• Nico A.
• Madeleine B.
• Colby C.
• Finn C.
• Seti C.
• Michelina F.
• Io G.
• Madeleine G.
• Sophia G.
• Samantha M.
• Henry P.
• Catherine S.
• Connor S.
• Emi S.
• Graham S.

Futsal Spirit Wear Available

Help show your spirit for CAIS futsal season that starts after February Break on Monday, February 27. Spirit wear is open for orders through the CAIS community wiki here .

Deadline for ordering is Monday, March 5.

If you haven’t checked out the CAIS Community Wiki, you’re missing out. This community run web page includes all of the great things that happen at CAIS, that aren’t classroom-based that you would find on Veracross. Soccer leagues, parent education events, photos, after school activities and more. If you did not receive your wiki invitation and wish to be part of the conversation, please go to CAIS Community Wiki here .

Ever Wonder What’s Going on in an Adolescent’s Brain?

On Tuesday, February 28 a parent education event will address new research about your teenager’s brain. Presented by Dr. Dean Blumberg, an expert in the field of adolescent development, he will delve into gender differences in brain development, risk taking and the teen brain, preventing drug and alcohol use and communicating effectively with your teen.

Event details

• Tuesday, February 28
• 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
• MPR4, fourth floor
• For event details, click here.

Self-portrait and 30th Anniversary Orders Available for Pick-up

For those of you who ordered self-portrait and 30th anniversary items through the Parents Association, your orders are waiting for you in the Auxiliary Program office room 158 directly behind the Oak Street front desk.

There are boxes of items that are bundled by order, feel free to come by anytime before the end of February and claim your items.

For those of you who didn’t get at chance to order and are interested, there are extra self-portrait items listed for sale on the CAIS Community Wiki.

If you haven’t checked out the CAIS Community Wiki, you’re missing out. This community run web page includes all of the great things that happen at CAIS, that aren’t classroom-based that you would find on Veracross. Soccer leagues, parent education events, photos, after school activities and more. If you did not receive your wiki invitation and wish to be part of the conversation, please go to CAIS Community Wiki here .

Chinese New Year Parade a Huge Success

It was an amazing day at the Chinese New Year parade this past Saturday, February 11. Congratulations to parent volunteers, Lisa Tam and Brad Sugarman for their leadership and to Lynda Sak from the PA Council for coordinating volunteers and sewing the costumes.The weather was perfect as students and parents came together to celebrate Chinese New Year and represent CAIS at the largest Chinese New Year parade in the United States.

The parade crowds were treated to 40 CAIS students who proudly marched with the handmade 30-foot dragon created with the help of every single student at CAIS. Special thank you to art teacher, Marc Peron and Lisa Ostapinski for help constructing the dragon. Thank you to all the CAIS families that volunteered time to help prepare the costumes and parade props and coordinate the marching contingent.