Every time I think about how it’s already been almost 4 years since I graduated from AAS, I cannot believe how quickly the time has passed. As I look back at my time in AAS, I can’t help but think about times when alumni came to visit before I graduated, and realized how right they…
January Blues
Preventing Child Suicide: Signs and Symptoms to Look For Have you ever heard of Blue Monday? After the holidays, many people can feel depressed or sad, and the third Monday in January (Blue Monday) is supposedly the most depressing day of the year. I can’t verify whether or not this is true for everyone, but…
Wicked Range
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life The most interesting people I know Didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t Back in 1997, these lyrics jumped out at me. Buried in the…
Success Is a Journey, Not a Destination
“If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.” – Maya Angelou Happy New Year! I hope that you had a pleasant holiday with plenty of warm family time. As we begin 2024, I have been thinking about success. Success can take many forms. On Monday, January 8,…
Together in the Digital Age
How Parents Can Lead by Example in Family Screen Time As we navigate the digital age’s complexities, parents’ vital yet often overlooked role in modelling proper technology use becomes apparent. This role gains importance during family times, as our engagement choices influence our children’s digital habits. Like a small act of cultural creation, each decision…
Beyond Black-and-White: Fostering Emotional Intelligence through Both-And Thinking
Almost every day as a principal, I find myself having conversations about big and real emotions. Maybe you have also heard statements like these: “I’m worried my friend is mad at me; our friendship is over.” “I’m frustrated I don’t understand this homework; I’ll never get it.” “I’m stressed about this project; I can’t handle…
Happy Thanksgiving!
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus As a kid, Thanksgiving was not one of my favourite holidays. I did not dislike it, but it was not a holiday that I looked forward to. I’m not sure…
Talking with Your Teens About Tech Use
Picture this: you’ve just asked your child to put away his phone before bedtime. You come back to check on him 5 minutes later and he’s still using his phone. An argument begins and both of you end up frustrated and angry. What about this? Your daughter comes home from school in tears because someone…
Enjoy Your Youth!
This week was fun. For our students. For our faculty. For our parents. This week was fun. About a month ago, we came back one weekend and our campus had started changing. The mature, sophisticated, orderly halls started filling with cobwebs and spiders and bats and skeletons and all sorts of blackened decor and spooky…
‘The Greatness of a Community Is Most Accurately Measured By the Compassionate Actions of Its Members.’
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” – Coretta Scott King Last week, AAS held a series of events and activities as part of Inclusion Week. Inclusion can mean many things. For AAS the most important meaning is that the School is a place where everyone–students,…
‘We Were Fortunate to Work with AAS Students’ Says Speaker Kathy Collins
Kathy Collins works in schools and presents in conferences all over the world to support teachers in developing high-quality, effective literacy instruction in the early childhood settings through middle school. She is the co-author, along with Janine Bempechat of ‘Not This But That: No More Mindless Homework’ (Heinemann, 2017). She co-authored, with Matt Glover, ‘I…
PTO President Yeser Kocabas: ‘You Can Create Many Great Projects For the Children’
Please briefly present yourself. How long have you been a part of the AAS community? Which grades are your children in? Hello. My name is Yeser and I come from Turkey. I am the new PTO president. I like to be an active person and I try to live my life with this motto. Life…
