director@ans.edu.ni / www.ans.edu.ni / November 19^th, 2008

The American Nicaraguan School

= We invite all parents to our next Tiger Meet-

ing to be held this Friday, November 21, at the following times: 7:15 am, K5–2^nd; and 8:15 am, 3^rd–5^th grade. We hope to see you there. Students may wear the School Spirit shirt and jeans on this day.

= Last Friday, November 14, the Elementary

Student Council (STUCO) visited our sister school Escuela Los Ladinos to continue the tradition of sharing and celebrating the Thanksgiving Spirit. This event was made possible with your support of the Jeans Day fund raising activity of October 31. Thank you!

= Parents are encouraged to make a contribu-

tion to the NHS Christmas Drive. This annual effort allows all those who help our School function properly (security, maintenance, and housekeeping personnel) receive Christmas baskets just in time for the holidays. 

= Students should be taking all the necessary

steps to finish the first semester of studies in the best possible way. Arriving to class prepared, meeting deadlines, pursuing after-school assistance, and studying for tests are all critical to the learning process.

= Our student athletes did a fantastic job during the

first semester. Please visit www.ans.edu.ni, Athletic Section - Tiger News, to view the summary of the sports of this period, including lots of pictures.

= To end an active and successful semester in which

all our 400 students enrolled in extracurricular sports did an outstanding job, our school is organizing a Track & Field Meet. Our Secondary team will compete vs. Bautista High School on Tuesday,  November 25, from 2:30 to 5 pm. We look forward to seeing you there supporting our athletes. Our track has experienced a significant remodeling for the occasion, and our students will benefit from it.

= Reminder to ALL SENIORS AND THEIR PARENTS:

Friday, November 21, is the TRANSCRIPT REQUEST FORM DEADLINE for all colleges and universities with admission deadlines between December 31 and February 1^st. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Vaughan, rsmithvaughan@ans.edu.ni. As school closes December 12 for winter break, exceptions cannot be allowed.

= Mrs. Vaughan will be out of the office from Monday,

November 17, until Monday, December 1^st. She has been asked to speak at the ECIS conference in Europe. At the conclusion of the conference, Mrs. Vaughan will visit many of the universities our Seniors are interested in attending.

= Mrs. Vaughan has been speaking with the Seniors dur-

ing the scheduling process for second semester and is concerned that students are not including university choices that would be considered a “Safety” (higher probability of acceptance). ANS has invested in the “WorkspaceK12 Naviance” program to assist students with their decisions. Every Senior has an account which we hope they will utilize. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Mrs. Vaughan.

= Access to online grades closes on Friday, November

21. We look forward to seeing you on Report Card Day, Friday December 12.

= TIPS (Technology and Internet Parenting Skills)/Tip

#2: Keep computers in a central, open area where the screen is visible to passersby. A quick internet history check can give you an idea of the sites that your child is viewing. To open your internet browser: for  Internet Explorer, control+Shift+H; for Firefox Users or Safari, on the menu bar - History. 

COOPERATION, PARTICIPATION, RESPECT

= The Fifth Annual Middle School Health Fo-

rum that was announced for Wednesday, November 26, has been postponed until next semester due to the unanticipated events that have been going on in Managua during the past few days.

= Check out the Middle School webpage. In it

you will find the following articles: “Connecting with Your Preteen,” “Tips for Helping with Homework,” “Rebuilding Parent-Teen Trust.” These articles help parents communicate better and help their children with their homework.