AOSR - VIA CASSIA 811 Phone: 06.33438.1 Web: WWW.AOSR.ORG November 2009 November 2-6 Middle School Cultural Trips November 5 Volleyball Championships November 7 SAT Testing November 9 PTO General Meeting Special Speaker Cafeteria November 12 College Fair Corporation Meeting 19:30 in School Cafeteria November 13 Parent-Teacher Conferences NO CLASSES It’s Halloween at AOSR! (See page 11) November 26-27 Thanksgiving Holiday NO SCHOOL November 30 PTO Executive Board Meeting December 2 PTO Holiday Volunteer Brunch AOSR Sports! (see page 22) December 3 Progress Reports December 5 United Nations Day (see page 6) SAT Testing December 8 Italian National Holiday NO SCHOOL MS (see page 19) Article: Dr. Beth Pfannl Contents 2 Information about H1N1 Kindergarten/Elementary News 2 Board of Trustees 3 Secondary School News 21 Middle School News 13 - 17 Tech Bytes 18-20 4 All School News High School News 5 - 6 United Nations Day After School Activities and Sports 22 7 PTO Counselor’s Corner 23-25 8 - 11 Pre-K News 12 Calendar 30 Contact Information 26-28 29 AOSR at the NIAF Piazza d’Italia by Dr. Beth Pfannl, Head of School Dr. Pfannl attended the annual National Italian American Foundation weekend events in Washington DC last month. AOSR once again had a booth at the very popular "Piazza d'Italia"; a showcase of the very best from Italy. She held meetings with prominent members of the community, including AOSR stand at NIAF's "Piazza AOSR Board members, d'Italia", with former AOSR and met with a number of Trustee Dr. Lora Shapiro alumni who were in DC Dr. Pfannl with Italian singer for the event. Antonello Venditti Some Information about H1N1 Influenza by Ms. Diane Cullen-Moore, School Nurse For Your Information, this is just a reminder with the Italian National Health, Italy will be that… offering vaccination to school age children within the coming months. There is a heightened awareness of the flu this year because of the new strain known as the The symptoms of H1N1 are almost H1N1, or the swine flu. All research indistinguishable from the seasonal flu, and the demonstrates that seasonal flu is still more treatment is virtually the same. Usually, only dangerous for the general population than swine those with previous medical conditions or at risk flu. However, fear of contracting H1N1 is are treated with antiviral medications. A fever rampant. over 37.8C or 100F, cough, lethargy, nausea and vomiting, abdominal distress, body aches, and It is true that seasonal flu can be very serious for sore throat are all probable symptoms of the flu. the elderly and the very young. It is true that the Some unusual symptoms such as rash, extreme H1N1 has struck down previously healthy, young fatigue, unwillingness to drink, difficult people. But the vast majority of H1N1 mortality respirations, and a reoccurrence of symptoms cases had underlying medical problems that after a period of improvement are all things that exacerbated the symptoms of the flu. For these could point to H1N1 infection. Only your doctor reasons, the public health services around the can diagnose this illness and prescribe the correct world have targeted those segments of the method of treatment. If your symptoms point to population with compromised immune systems, the seasonal flu, the treatment is: asthma, or other previous health problems for vaccination. Until recently, school children were Rest at home considered the main spreaders of the flu rather Isolation from others than its victims. As the virus progresses however, Increased fluid intake there has been an increase of previously healthy Fever management if necessary school children being hospitalized with the complications of the flu, causing some countries Using medicines to treat a fever that is less than to include school age children under the age of 15 100F or 37.8 is NOT seen as beneficial. The in the group to be vaccinated. According to a (Continued on page 3) parent of one of our students who is a pediatrician 2 AOSR BOARD OF TRUSTEES Mr. Frank Ledahawky, Chair I would like to remind the AOSR community that Please note that the Board of Trustees has resolved the Annual Assembly of the AOSR Corporation that only those proxies which are delivered to the will be held Thursday, November 12, 2009 AOSR office by 17:00 hrs on Thursday, beginning at 19:30 in the school cafeteria. November 12 and which clearly identify the individual nominated to hold the proxy will be In order to participate at the annual assembly you accepted. Proxies received after the 17:00 must be a member of the AOSR Corporation. Every deadline, blank proxies, or proxies assigned to a parent or guardian of a student of AOSR is eligible corporation member already holding three to become a regular member. Corporation proxies will be void. Proxy forms are also membership forms are available on the AOSR available on the AOSR website home page. website home page. Regular memberships terminate automatically once a student leaves AOSR. For This year, the Corporation is required to elect four more information about the Annual Assembly, members to fill vacancies on the Board of Trustees. please contact Ms. Domenica Losani at There is a wealth of talent in the AOSR parent [email protected] or call 06.33438331. Official community and we hope that parents with bylaws of the AOSR Corporation are available in professional experience will consider volunteering the Head’s office. their time and talent to AOSR by running. Nominations will not be accepted from the Floor The Annual Assembly is validly constituted when during the meeting. AT LEAST FIFTY PERCENT of the Regular and Supporting Members are present in person or by In the interest of our children’s education and the proxy. Therefore, we strongly encourage all our proper completion of the Corporation’s business, I Corporation Members to make every effort to urge you to take the time to personally attend the attend or execute and send in a proxy. Article 16 of meeting on November 12, 2009. the AOSR Bylaws provides that no member in attendance may hold more than three proxies. I look forward to seeing you there. (Continued from page 2) should not come back to school until they are at least body heat of a fever is seen as a first line of defense 24 hours free of fever without the use of anti febrile against invading viruses. If you are worried, do not medications. Since coming into contact with the virus hesitate to contact your family physician. is practically impossible, the most effective defense against it is to reduce its proliferation. Such efficient At school, we are making a concerted effort to measures are: minimize the spread of the flu viruses. The worry over the H1N1 has actually made it easier for us to Gargling with warm salty water twice a day bring the methods of prevention to the attention of the students. All the preventive techniques should have Cleaning the nostrils every evening after a been followed even for the seasonal flu. The basics of forceful nose blowing good prevention include: Drinking warm liquids reduces microbial Frequent hand washing particles in the mouth and throat by washing them into the stomach where they cannot survive Coughing into a tissue or into your elbow the gastric juices Isolating yourself for others if you have a A diet rich in Vitamin C and sufficient rest to fever or from those with a fever help boost the immune system A doctor’s certificate allowing reentry The school is closely monitoring school absences. If you have any questions call the School Health Office All students with a fever of 37.8C are sent home and at 0633438321. according to the (CDC) Center for Disease Control and the (WHO) World Health Organization they 3 Tech Bytes by Mr. Geoff Miller, Director of Technology Technology Task Force The AOSR Board Technology Task Force held its first technology resources and their current use at school as well meeting early this month. The community was represented as an analysis of the gaps between the actual status and the with teachers, parents, and administrators. In attendance vision for future technology use. The Audit makes were AOSR Trustees Gianni Linari (Task Force Chair), recommendations based on industry standards and best Antonio Rizzo and Steven Cohen; Dr. Beth Pfannl, Head of practice. Mr. Miller shared with the group his analysis of School, Tom Connolly, Secondary School Principal, Geoff the current state of technology and his short, medium and Miller, Director of Technology; teachers Silvia Moore, long term goals. He also distributed his written response to Lars Rahm, Jane Rumsby, James Sigafoos, Eric Vacchio; the Audit’s recommendations. and parents Judy Barkal, Jeff Datin, Riccardo DiBlasio, Three working groups (Infrastructure and Hardware, Michael Itinger and Neeru Lal and guest Elsa Lamb, Impact of Technology in the Classroom and Technology Executive Director of the Association for the Advancement Plan) were formed and agreed to meet in the next few of International Education. weeks. Mr. Linari and Dr. Pfannl reported on the Technology Any members of the community interested in joining this Audit that took place last spring conducted by consultants the Task Force are welcome to contact the Head of sponsored by the Office of Overseas Schools of the US School’s office at 06.33438331. The next meeting is Department of State. The Audit, part of the school’s scheduled for Wednesday, December 9th at 18:00 in the Strategic Plan, offered an assessment of the current state of High School Library. What is Technology? “Technology is a broad term that refers both to artifacts created by humans, such as machines, and the methods used to create those artifacts.