April 10, 2026

Dear families,

We've had a great week back after Semana Santa! Our monthly assembly was a highlight. K3 sang a song about caring for our planet tied to their unit on sharing the planet, and Grade 4 presented their Earth Day solutions projects. We also had a special beatboxing performance by Theo, supporting the OPAL Student Council, and the cheer team performed an energetic routine featuring choreography, lifts and formations.

In other learning this week, Grade 5 held their book publishing parties where families were coached through writing the beginnings of a fantasy story by their own G5 student. Grade 3 has been creating green screen videos about animal adaptations and habitats in preparation for their upcoming parent celebration.

More to come next week!

Dani

Social Media and Children's Mental Health

For those who missed it, we had a parent education session this past Wednesday led by our LS Counselor's Melissa and Oceane. You can see their presentation and what was shared with parents here.

Technology Use on the Bus 

The school bus is an extension of the school day, so the same expectations for technology use apply. Lower School students should not have phones out or be looking at screens while on the bus.

Instead, we encourage sending students with screen-free options such as books, fidgets, or puzzles (e.g., Rubik’s cubes). Students may listen to music, but should not be looking at their screens while doing so.

Thank you for your support in helping us create a calm and focused environment for all students.

SIGN UP FOR OUR SUMMER CAMP IN ENGLISH --- This year’s Summer Camp will run from July 1-31.  

Our camp aims to immerse children in the English language in a playful, fun, and informal way through a full-immersion camp-style approach that integrates the four basic skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Campers will learn English through educational games and hands-on projects and will also enjoy plenty of structured time outdoors each day. Many of our students have an intermediate or advanced level of English; therefore, our camp is also a wonderful option for proficient English speakers.

Spring Learning Conferences

LOWER SCHOOL PARENT/TEACHER/STUDENT  LEARNING CONFERENCES - Friday April 17

By now, you should have received information about sign-up access for our Spring Learning Conferneces. Please remember, attendance is required by parents and students. We look forward to seeing you at conferences.

Monthly Character Strength: Open Minded

For the month of March, our character strength focus is open minded. At ASM, being open minded means staying curious, considering different perspectives, and being willing to have your thinking challenged and changed. In our classrooms, this shows up: in the questions students ask during inquiry, in how they listen to a classmate who sees things differently, and in the willingness to say "I hadn't thought of it that way."

Students who demonstrate this strength will have their names entered into a drawing at our next assembly for a chance to have lunch with Ms. Dani. We invite families to talk with their children at home about what it looks and feels like to be open minded, whether trying a new approach to a problem, listening with genuine curiosity, or being open enough to change their mind.