PO Ambassador Committee Paves the Way for New and Prospective Families

By Ruth Rieker, AIS parent and volunteer

The Ambassador Committee is a Parent Organization committee whose mission it is to support the AIS Admission Office and to create a warm, gracious and informed environment for new and prospective families. Subcommittees include: Newcomer Committee, Parent-to-Prospective-Parent Committee, Buddy Program and Around Atlanta.

The Ambassador Committee is always looking for new ideas, suggestions and volunteers to improve the experience of our families, so please contact Ruth Rieker, at ruth@softlinc.com, if you would like to help on any of the subcommittees.

Newcomer Committee
This committee was formed to support and welcome new families to AIS. We would like to strongly encourage interested parents to join this committee if you are interested in helping to improve the experience of new families to our community. Please note, ALL parents are invited to attend any newcomer event.

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, January 15, 8:30 a.m.
Newcomer Welcome Coffee

All parents are welcome to join us in the SAC for a coffee and social to welcome new families to the school. We will have information available on Events taking place in 2008 as well as how to get more involved at AIS. All are welcome!

Wednesday, February 20, 6:30 p.m.
Newcomer Evening and Presentation on Cultural Differences

All families, new and returning, are welcome to attend this evening that will center around a subject pertinent to our community: Cultural Differences and Experiences. Emory Mulling, Chairman of The Mulling Corporation headquartered in the Atlanta area, will speak about “How to deal with cultural differences that impact your life and work” followed by a discussion and exchange of experiences and ideas. The Mulling Corporation provides services throughout the U.S that includes executive coaching and leadership development services. Light refreshment will be served. Please contact Ruth Rieker, ruth@softlinc.com, for more information or if you would like to attend.

Parent-to-Prospective-Parent Committee

The Parent-to-Prospective-Parent Committee is involved in supporting the Admission Office to represent AIS to interested parents. There is no better way to learn about the school than through its current families. January is the most active month for this Committee, and we are looking for volunteers to help at the Open House and Kindergarten Screenings (see dates below). Please contact deLille Anthony, at deLille@comcast.net, if you would like to volunteer.

Upcoming Parent-to-Prospective-Parent Volunteer Events

Monday, January 7, 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. (two sessions)
Training for Open House

Volunteers for the January 12 AIS Open House for prospective parents are requested to attend one of two training sessions being offered this year. The training will be conducted in the Auditorium by the Admissions Office, and every Open House volunteer is asked to attend, including Open House volunteers from previous years.

Saturday, January 12, 9:00 a.m. (Primary School) and 1:00 p.m. (Secondary School)
Open House for Prospective Families

Come join the Parent-to-Prospective Parent Committee in hosting the Open House for prospective parents who are interested in applying to AIS. We are still short of volunteers for the morning session of the Open House, so please contact deLille Anthony, at deLille@comcast.net, if you would like to help.

Every Saturday in February, 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Screening Days for Prospective Kindergarten Students

Help calm the nerves of anxious prospective parents who are waiting for their children to be screened for admission to AIS. The Parent-to-Prospective-Parent Committee will be assisting prospective parents during these screening sessions. If you have a couple of hours to volunteer any Saturday morning in February, please contact deLille Anthony, deLille@comcast.net.

Buddy Program

The objective of the Buddy Program is to assist new students and families when they first arrive at AIS. Through this program, we hope that new families will have a smoother transition to the school, the city of Atlanta, and in the USA. New families are assigned a “buddy family” from AIS starting in April. The buddy family acts as a resource and a friendly voice, often in their native language, for the new family. If you are interested in learning more about being a Buddy Family to a new family in 2008-2009, please contact Ruth Rieker, ruth@softlinc.com for guidelines and upcoming events.

Around Atlanta

Around Atlanta was created by newcomers to the city of Atlanta wishing to explore and investigate the history and nuances of the city. It is open to all parents of AIS and meets on the second Tuesday of every month. Our January 15 outing takes us for an exclusive tour of the Jimmy Carter Center. The Carter Center is committed to advancing human rights and the alleviation of human suffering. Join our group for a morning of discovery, while we tour the Center, Museum and Library. View the photographs of Robert Glen Ketchum: an exhibit of Southwest Alaska - A World of National Parks and Wildlife Refuges.

Visit their website at www.cartercenter.org.

Our group will depart AIS following the Newcomers Welcome Coffee on January 15.

If you wish to participate in this event, please pre-register in advance with either Bettina Koenigstein at bkoenigstein@hotmail.com or Wendy White at workoutwindy@yahoo.ca.