A Word from Mr. Lorenzini

Please note that there is an error in the ISD calendar. May 27^th is a normal school day. This is not a conference day. We have already had our second conference day.

Parent Letter

March 18^th, 2011

Dear Parents,

Drop-off and Carline: Thank you so much for your patience and flexibility this week. Your swift adjustment to the limited parking now available means that our students continue to be dropped-off and dismissed in a safe and orderly manner.

Sodexo Update: As mentioned in my previous letter, lunch ticket prices have increased as follows,

·      Pink ticket (large meal) is 3.50 euros

·      Yellow ticket (small meal) is 2:00 euros

Following recent discussions, Sodexo have agreed to revert back to the old system where any child, regardless of grade, may choose to purchase either ticket.

Calendar Change: Please note that there is an error in the ISD calendar. May 27^th is a normal school day. This is not a conference day. We have already had our second conference day.

Spirit Week: Spirit Week is coming soon!  This year Spirit Week will begin on March 28^th. The student council have organized a different theme for each day. More information should be on the way soon.

Thank you again for your continued support.

Warm regards,

Alan Lorenzini

Elementary Principal

Parent Letter

February 25th, 2011

Dear Parents,

  

Here are some announcements to consider before we break up for Ski Week.

Math Open Day: Please join us on Wednesday, March 2^nd for our Mathematics Open Day. You are invited to join

• Prep to Grade 2 between 09:00 and 09:40
• Grade 3 to Grade 5 between 09:45 and 10:30.

The children will share some of the math games that are used during the school day.

Lost Property: Please check the lost property containers before we break up for Ski Week as everything will be donated to Frauenhaus during the holidays.

Elementary Extension: As many of you know, the construction of the new Elementary Extension will begin during Ski Week. This means that when we return from the holiday a significant section of our playground and car park will be fenced off. Half of the parent parking spaces will disappear temporarily so many of us will either need to park further away from the school or use the drop-off system.

From next week onwards, students who normally exit via the Art/Music room stairwell will exit down the central stairwell at the end of the day. I would ask that all parents wait in the playground to collect their children as it will be too congested inside the school at this time of day.

Even though we are temporarily losing some playground space, we will proceed with our plan to introduce table tennis tables (courtesy of the parent volunteer fund) and swing ball poles to enrich recess opportunities for our students. We will also use the holidays to secure the bicycle stands and re-arrange the playground bins into colour-coded re-cycling stations.

The construction project is scheduled to be completed in time to begin the new academic year in August 2011, however no internal work will begin until the end of this academic year. The extension will house our new fifth grade wing. The library will be relocated to where the current 5^th grade classrooms are, allowing Reception to move into the space where our current library is situated. We will become a 3 section school from Prep to Grade 3 and a 4 section school in Grades 4 and 5. In addition to this, there will be a multi-purpose room that can be used for movement, music and drama.

Sodexo Price Changes: After Ski Week Sodexo will be increasing the prices of their food and drink tickets. Upper Elementary Children (Grades 3 – 5) will only be able to use pink tickets. Lower Elementary Children (Prep – Grade 2) will only be able to use yellow tickets. Please remember that no money is exchanged in the cafeteria. All purchases are made with tickets. These can be bought at the snack bar in the front foyer before or after school. The food prices are as follows.

Pink (big meal) 3.50 euros

Yellow (little meal) 2.00 euros

The price of cappuccino in the front foyer will also increase to 1.50 euros. Please direct all inquiries to Mr. Andreas Tegeler. He can be contacted at isd.3107@sodexo.de

Thank you for your patience and understanding in the coming weeks. We will do all we can to ensure that the construction project has a minimal impact on our students' learning.

On behalf of all the teachers and staff at the school, I wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable Ski Week.

Warm regards,  

Alan Lorenzini

Elementary Principal

International School of Düsseldorf

Parent Feedback

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your responses to the feedback sheet you received at Parent-Teacher Conference day.

I promised you I would publish the answers to the two questions.

To the first question, " Were you able to get a clear picture of your child's progress from reading the report card?" the responses were as follows:

91% of those who responded, answered, "Yes" to this question with a small number adding that having the conference helped them to clarify their understanding and ask questions. A small number also asked for more clarity over the use of the descriptors, "thorough, sound, basic and limited."

5% of those who responded, answered that they, "Would have preferred some sort of grade".

4% of those who answered found the information "Difficult to understand".

1% simply answered, "No".

To the second question, "Do you think it is a good idea to have a conference immediately after you receive the report card?" the responses were:

100% of those who responded, answered, "Yes" with many adding that "Having the conference so close to the report cards allowed them to ask for further explanations and to have questions answered."

The teachers have received your feedback and spent part of their Professional Development day on Friday discussing your feedback and also sharing their own experiences with each other.

We were delighted by the overwhelmingly positive nature of your responses and we thank you for taking time to share your thoughts with us.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to remind you of our Math Open Morning on Wednesday March 2nd. We look forward to welcoming you into the classrooms on that morning.  Prep, Grade One and Grade Two are from 9:00-9:40 and grades Three, Four and Five are form 9:45- 10:25.

We will also be serving coffee so that you can spend some time socialising with other parents.

Kind Regards,
Teresa Coffey
Deputy Principal

Parent Letters

Please take note....

All parent letters from the school will now be posted on the separate tab called 'Parent Letters'. All of the letters sent home since the start of the school year have been posted there for your reference.

A Word from Mrs Coffey

Dear Parents,

As you know, we have changed the format of the report cards. Please click on the link below where you will find information about the changes.
The report cards come home with the children on Friday January 28th. and the Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on Thursday February 3rd.

Regards,

Teresa Coffey

http://voicethread.com/share/1641679/