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First of all, I would like to say a big “Thank You” to the PTSA, Tjeerd and Joke for the terrific Thanksgiving lunch last Wednesday. The entire event went off in a very timely fashion – the food was excellent and the traditional performance from the Elementary students was a wonderful appetizer before lunch. Also “Thank You” to the teachers for making this possible.

Another very exciting event took place on Friday – Sinterklaas found time to visit the very well-behaved students in the Elementary School. He was also very pleased to be able to say Happy 50th Birthday to AISR. Once again, chocolate letters (courtesy of the PTSA) were left in each of the classrooms.

The next celebration will be the Seasonal Performance on Thursday December 17th starting at 7:00 P.M. in the Gym. All Elementary students will need to be in their classrooms by 6:30 P.M. Students in Grades Pre-K1 to Grade 2 will stay with their classes until the intermission. After the short break, the students will then sit with their parents and enjoy the rest of the show.

Please note: There will be no sitting room on the floor in front of the stage this year.

For your information: Report Cards will be posted home on Friday January 15th.

Have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

Sincerely, Anne Marie Blitz

I hope that you all had a fine relaxing Thanksgiving Holiday and that somehow, somewhere, in the Netherlands, the turkeys were tracked down.

We had an excellent half week just before the break, filled with events which really showed the school at its best. On the Monday we had a dignified Assembly to mark United Nations Day. Children looked terrific in national costumes and we enjoyed a stimulating speech by Christian Chartier of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. On Tuesday, we had the High School Play, “The Elephant Man”. Perhaps I had better not say too much about that here, except to acknowledge Ms. Martin’s hard work over many weeks as Director of the play. Susan, it was a joy to work with you and I hope we can collaborate again soon. You can read a thorough review of the play by Mrs. Boot elsewhere in this issue.

Our Thanksgiving Feast last Wednesday was provided by the wonderful cooperation between Tjeerd, Joke and their team and the PTSA. Many, many thanks to them for providing such a generous lunch with so many delicious things to eat and for organizing the whole thing so seamlessly. There are many more events to look forward to in the remaining weeks before our holiday, including the ‘Sinterklaas’ visit, the Craft Fair on Sunday and of course, our Winter Performance on December 17th.

The academic program does not let up however and the High Schoolers have examinations in the closing weeks. I wish them well with their studies and success with every one of the various ventures which will be unfolding soon.

DECEMBER 4TH 2009

1 9 59 - 2 0 0 9 YEARS

5

From the DirectorGraham Gamble

From the Elementary PrincipalAnne-Marie Blitz

Parents of students in Grades 1 through 5 are kindly requested not to go upstairs

in the morning. This can be very disruptive for the teacher and the students as

they begin the school day. If you need to speak to your child's teacher, please

contact them to set up an appointment. Thank you for your understanding.

The AISR Players Present “The Elephant Man”...

From the Pre-Kindergarten...Mrs Tenley Elliott

“You can't walk by the classroom without hearing the PK-1 class singing...”

Watch out for the giant animals as you enter the PK-1 classroom. The children have been busy learning about all  different kinds of jungle and zoo animals and have also been creating their own.  The PK-1 class have made their own (almost...) life-size snakes, crocodiles, pig, butterfly, jaguar, ostrich, panda bear, lion and elephant.  We have been talking about where these animals live, what they eat and sharing other great information we know.  We have also made animal puppets, animal masks and have been learning the sounds each animal makes as well as the special names of the various adult and baby animals.

To help the birds get plenty to eat during the cold days of fall, PK-1 made some bird feeders to hang outside our window.  We brought some giant pinecones back from our Pumpkin Patch field trip and worked in pairs to spread peanut butter and bird seed all over the pinecones.   The children then chose just the right spot to hang their feeder.  We have been keeping a close eye to make sure the birds find their delicious treat.

You can't walk by the classroom without hearing the PK-1 class singing. We have been learning lots of new songs and poems and enjoy dancing and making movements to accompany our singing.  Some songs that the class enjoy are "The Jungle Animal Says", "Have You Ever Seen A Turkey" and "5 Little Ducks".  Why not ask a child from PK-1 to sing you a tune.

We are sad to say goodbye to some friends from our class and wish Karan, Lauren and Marina all the best for the future.  We are also looking forward to all the Holiday festivities soon and learning and having lots more fun together.

Tenley Elliott

GO SHARKS!

SPORT@AISR Rob ZeilstraNEWS UPDATE...

TRACK AND FIELD TEAM: Sign-ups must take place by December 9th, as we need to reserve flights to Copenhagen. Please let us know if you are interested in joining by sending an email to r.zeilstra@aisr.nl

• The Track and Field team is for students in grades 5 to12.• The season is from March 30th to May 29th.

We practice Tuesdays and Thursdays and have two planned events:• April 24th in Antwerp against five schools• May 27th to 29th in Copenhagen for the ten school NECIS event

NECIS SOCCER AND VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTSIf you would like to read the coaches END OF SEASON REPORTS about our recent tournaments in Amsterdam and Dusseldorf, go to our Athletics Website pages.http://www.aisr.nl/athletics/fall_sports/fall_sports.php

BASKETBALL has started, our first games Saturday December 5th for U12 boys and U14 girls in Antwerp vs Antwerp and Dusseldorf. December 7th the JV Girls and Varsity Boys meet Amsterdam at AISRDecember 9th the U14 boys and U14 girls meet the School of Amsterdam (home).

SWIMMING TEAM:  it's not too late to join but we need to know by December 15th.

Robert Zeilstra

COME AND CHEER OUR SHARKS ON!!!

FEE: €350 for students going to Copenhagen.or €100 for students practicing only. May also go to Antwerp

On Tuesday, November 24th, believing that I was being a

supportive colleague and teacher, I sat down to watch “yet another

school drama production”. By 7 o clock, I was anxiously waiting

for the production to start, fearing that I would be too late for my

next engagement, but was curiously interested in the décor and

the cleverly minimal nature of the sets. Within five minutes, I was

already being transported to another place, had forgotten the

cares of the day, and was anxious to see more. In no small way

was I surprised by what I saw.

The daytime awkwardness of adolescence stepped swiftly aside to

allow the AISR Players to do some real acting, with excellent

costumes, correct accents, words learned

as if they were coming from the heart and

perfectly clear diction. As an audience, we

were literally on top of every piece of

action, but we could also hear and

understand what was going on. As the

Pinheads (Yinka and Elif) expertly danced,

we relived the colonial days and

understood how anything not familiar must

have been a feature of great interest to our

predecessors. We were taken away from our transient world of

knowledge through Wikipedia, and given real steam, and an

authentic British accent shouting, “Liverpool Street Station”. The

smog enveloped us as if we were there. The hard lives of Ross,

the sideshow entrepreneur (Jyona), the hospital porters (Drew and

Hayden) and the poor and lonely

figure of the Elephant Man (Klaus)

were brilliantly contrasted against the

privilege and esoteric wisdom of Dr.

Frederic Treves (Alexander), Dr. F.C

Carr Gomm (Alan), The Princess of

Wales (Yinka), the Duchess

(Veronica) and Bishop Howe (Drew).

The all too realistic face of economic

exploitation (Mr. Wah) is

unfortunately a timeless vision, but it

was made all the more plausible by the very good acting of the

cast members who were in his thrall.

The situation of the Elephant Man himself (Klaus) was made to

seem every bit as grotesque as our minds could imagine, without

utilizing insensitive props and horrific make-up. It was in the

actions he took and the way in which he spoke that the real pathos

came out of the lines, and drew the

hearts of the audience, and those of

some of the other characters,

towards an understanding of his

plight. Having said that, however, his

make-up was so skillfully done that

we could all feel a general sense of

unease about his condition. In

contrast, Dr. Treves (Alexander), Dr.

Carr Gomm (Alan) and Bishop Howe

(Drew) exhibited such a great deal of

wealth and learning that it was almost impossible to imagine that

they still attend school and were on the stage.

If all this had been achieved in 10 weeks,

together with school work, homework, tests

and a week of vacation, then I think that

drama is alive and well at AISR. I should

also mention the wonderful music, as

represented in the delightful scene setting

rendition of, “The Streets of London” by

Alexander C. and the use of incidental

music composed by Klaus. Drama is not

only alive and well amongst the students. Let us not forget the

unstinting and talented

contributions of Mr. Blackburn

(Publicity and stage sets),

Mrs. van Leijden (props), Mrs.

Scott (wardrobe and make

up), Mr. Temminck (sound

and lighting) and Mr. Faling

and Mr. De Nies (stage

building). Finally, it goes

without saying, that someone

was needed to pull all of this talent together. Congratulations to

Ms. Martin (director) and to Mr. Gamble (producer) for being able

to have the patience, talent and wherewithal to execute such a

coup at AISR. Imagination is the springboard of the mind and we

were certainly catapulted to great heights on the night that “The

Elephant Man” by Bernard Pomerance was performed at AISR.

LyndaLynda Boot

The AISR Players bring Victorian London to your doorstep...Lynda Boot

“Within five minutes, I was already being transported to another place...”

@AISR

Pam Farrellcoastiebear@gmail.com010 8188522

061 1062630

A heartfelt thank you to all of those who volunteered and provided baked goods for the annual AISR Thanksgiving lunch. The success of the lunch was evident on the happy faces of the students and guests as they enjoyed the Thanksgiving meal. The time and effort provided by Tjeerd and his staff, the volunteers who served the food and those who provided baked goods all helped to make this event a success. What a fantastic way to kick off the holiday season at AISR.

PTSASame time next year?

On December 11th the PTSA will spread some holiday cheer by providing breakfast to the AISR staff. PTSA wishes to say “thank you” to all of you for your

dedication to our children.

!

The Annual AISR Thanksgiving DriveNovember 11th to 24th

Thank you! The generosity of our AISR families has provided for new hats, gloves scarves and toiletries for the homeless of Rotterdam. Together, we can make a difference for those

in need. Missio

n Accomplished!

Join us for some seasonal joy at AISR’s annual winter performance on December 17th. The PTSA will have gluhwein and baked goods available for purchase.

Please donate baked goods for the PTSA sale during the winter performance. Remember, all proceeds directly benefit the students at AISR.

Stop by and say hello. On December 6th the PTSA will have a table at the craft fair with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, baked goods, tote bags and workout clothing available for purchase.

CHILDREN • Fast breathing or difficulty

breathing • Blueish skin color • Not drinking enough fluids • Not waking up or not interacting • Being so irritable that the child

does not want to be held • Flu-like symptoms improve but

then return with fever and worse cough

• Fever with a rash

ADULTS • Difficulty breathing or shortness of

breath • Pain or pressure in the chest or

abdomen • Sudden dizziness • Confusion • Severe or persistent vomiting • Flu-like symptoms improve but

then return with fever and worse cough

Things are looking a little bit brighter at AISR regarding health: almost all the sick students have recovered or are on the way to recovery. We still need to stay vigilant and I would like to remind you (once more) how important it is to keep our children at home in case of a fever and to make sure that they have made a complete recovery before sending them back to school. Viral infections like the one we have experienced lately really take a toll on our children’s stamina and in the long run, one extra day or two at home really makes a big difference to their complete recovery.

Here are the main steps to follow if your child or a member of your household becomes sick:• Stay home and rest • Avoid contact with other people as much as possible• Drink plenty of fluids • Take some fever reducing medication (paracetamol), if necessary

School NurseInfirmière Diplomée d’Etat(French Nursing Diploma)recognized by the Swiss Red Cross

l.chambers@aisr.nl

Anyone with the following emergency warning signs needs urgent medical attention:

Nurse’s CornerLaurence Chambers

Measures to help to reduce the risk of contracting viruses:• Frequent hand washing with soap and water or use of hand gel disinfectant• Coughing in a tissue and disposing of it after use or coughing in sleeve if no tissue is

available• Avoiding hand contact with eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible• Ventilating rooms• Daily cleaning of surfaces

If you have any concerns or questions regarding this matter or any health issues, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Laurence ChambersLaurence Chambers

Contact your local Doctor (Huisarts) if there is no noticeable improvement after 3 days of sickness or if the fever returns after a few days.

Tjeerds “Break Point” Cafe@aisr www.tjeerdsplace.nl

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

30 1 2 3 4

Healthysticks

Italianpasta

BeefNapolisauce

Orsmallplatefor€2

Greenbeans

Nasirice

Chickenleg

Kroepoek

Mixsalad

Shaslickmeatstick

Frenchfries

HALFDAY

Italianpastawithbeef,tomatoandolivesauce

Orsmallplatefor€2

7 8 9 10 11

Mixedsalad

Spaghettipasta

Tomatosauce

Peasandcarrots

Freshcookedpotatoes

Gravy

Swedishmeatballs(pork)

Broccolimix

Steamedrice

Springroll

Mixsalad

Fries

Bigeggroll

Italianpastawithbaconandcarbonarasauce

Orsmallplatefor€2

14 15 6 17 18

Healthysticks

Pennepastawith

Meatballsandtomato

Orsmallplatefor€2

Cookedcarrots

Mashedpotatoes

Bakedfish

Mixsalad

Frenchfries

Bigchickenkebab

Broccolimix

Steamedrice

Chickenlegcookedinoven

Corn

Potatoslices

Chickenburger(oven)

21 22 23 24 25

WinterBreak WinterBreak WinterBreak WinterBreak WinterBreak

28 29 30 31

WinterBreak WinterBreak WinterBreak WinterBreak

Big Plate Menu

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

30 1 2 3 4

Healthysticks

Italianpasta

BeefNapolisauce

Tomatosauceforvegetarians

Fruityogurtorfruit

Greenbeans

Nasirice

Chickenleg

Springrollforvegetarians

Kroepoek

Fruityogurtorfruit

Tomatosoup

Hotdogor

Tostiham/cheese

Ligacookieorfruit

HALFDAY

Cookedcarrots

Potatoslices

Cheeseburger

Vegaburgerforvegetarians

Fruityogurtorfruit

7 8 9 10 11

Mixedsalad

Spaghettipasta

Tomatosauce

Fruityogurtorfruit

Peasandcarrots

Freshcookedpotatoes

Gravy

Swedishmeatballs

Roatedmushroomsand

paprikaforvegetarians

Fruityogurtorfruit

Broccolimix

Steamedrice

Springroll

VegaSpringrollforvegetarians

Fruityogurtorfruit

Cucumbersticks

Pizzapepperoniormozzarella

Fruityogurtorfruit

Chickennuggets

Cookedcarrots

Dollarships

Vegarollforvegetarians

Fruityogurtorfruit

14 15 6 17 18

Healthysticks

Pennepastawith

Meatballsandtomato

Tomatosauceforvegetarians

Fruityogurtorfruit

Broccolimix

Steamedrice

Chickenlegcookedinoven

Vegarollforvegetarians

Fruityogurtorfruit

Tomatosoup

Breadstick

Hotdogor

hamorcheeseomeletandbun

Vegarollforvegetarians

Fruityogurtorfruit

Cookedcarrots

Mashedpotatoes

Fishsticks

Roastedmushroomandpaprikaforvegetarians

Fruityogurtorfruit

Corn

Potatoslices

Chickenburger(oven)

Veggieburgerforvegetarians

MerryChristmasice‐cream

21 22 23 24 25

WinterBreak WinterBreak WinterBreak WinterBreak WinterBreak

28 29 30 31

WinterBreak WinterBreak WinterBreak WinterBreak

Elementary School menu

Sunday, 6 December 10:00 -16:00

Vendors and craftsmen from all over the world will be participating in this year’s event, offering a wide array of items, including: Polish pottery ** Handmade cards ** Tupperware ** Murano jewelry ** Dutch wooden furniture ** Canadian Products** Indian Products, Indian

Food **and several other vendors.

The Senior Class will also be selling hotdogs &chili dogs,

The PTSA will be selling bags, homemade baked goods and refreshments.

Please join us for an afternoon of fun-filled shopping…just in time for the holiday season.

The proceeds of this event will go towards the Senior Class Fund Raising Campaign.

The American International School of RotterdamVerhulstlaan 21

The American International School of Rotterdam

Warmly Welcomes You To Join Us For Our...

International Craft Fair

If you have something you would like to publish in the Shark, please send it to David Blackburn via:

theshark@aisr.nlThe next Shark will come out on December 18th. All submissions are due by: Tuesday, December 15th. by 5.00 PM.

Something for the Shark?

Community Announcements And Classifieds@AISR

Thursday, 10th December 3:30 - 4:30

BEAMAZEDBYTHEPOWEROFSCIENCE!

The American International School of RotterdamVerhulstlaan 21

3055 WJ Rotterdam

The American International School of Rotterdam

Warmly Welcomes You To Join Us For Our...

7th GRADE SCIENCE FAIR

Ballet classes

Ballet classes for ages 3 and up will be offered at AISR from January 2010. The classes will be taught by Sue Manville who trained at The Royal Academy of Dance in London.  Sue has 20 years experience of ballet teaching and choreography, in the United States, UK, Australia, Greece, Spain and Brazil.

If interested please email Sue Manville at

sue.manville@gmail.com with the age of your child.

English classes for adults

If you would like to improve and practice

your English, and at the same time make new

international friends, why not join one of the

English language classes for adults available

at the school during school hours? These are

small, friendly groups and the lessons,

ranging from beginners to advanced and all

with plenty of conversation, are given by a

British native speaker.

If you are interested and would like to know

more, please ask at the reception desk or

contact the teacher, Mary Tomlinson, directly

via e-mail address: maryjt_nl@yahoo.com

or telephone number: 010 4704424.

Treasured memories?Old or damaged photos

restored.

I can repair most images to a high level of presentation and provide a digital image and photo-print of the

restored image.

If interested please email David Blackburn at

mrblackburnart@gmail.com

LIFE COACH – MIND AND BODY INC.(IN ENGLISH)

• UNDERSTAND YOURSELF! How you can be well and strong from the Inside Out.

• USE YOUR SKILLS EFFECTIVELY – Govern the Beast within you and Shine your Beauty.

• LOSE WEIGHT AND STAY FIT THE NATURAL WAY – You do not need to go on countless Weight Loss Diets and Plans if you understand how your body functions.

• UNDERSTAND YOUR CHILDREN – You can be their source of Inspiration.

• LEARN THAT JOY IS WITHIN YOU – while tackling the challenges of life head-on.

KNOW THAT THE WORLD IS YOUR CANVAS

CONTACT: SANDRA,B.A. Psychology, M.A. English Literature, M.S. Special Education

(USA).

EMAIL: joyandpower@gmail.comMOBILE: 06-16593856.

SPECIAL NEEDS TUTORING for Children

• Gifted and Talented (including

underachieving gifted), ADD and ADHD,

Learning Disabilities, Behavior Management, Asperger's, Autism, Down's Syndrome, Fine Motor Skills.

• HELP AND SUPPORT FOR PARENTS of children with Special Needs

CONTACT: SANDRA,B.A. Psychology, M.A. English Literature, M.S.

Special Education (USA).

EMAIL: joyandpower@gmail.comMOBILE: 06-16593856.

Business Network in Rotterdam

Are you looking for a new opportunity to broaden your business network, then the Rotterdam Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce may be the answer.  From multinational corporations to one-person businesses, members of AmCham join for a variety of reasons, depending on their particular needs and interests. All members benefit from:

• Increased business-to-business networking opportunities• Improved visibility among key US – Netherlands market

players• Important Dutch-American bilateral lobbying activities of

the Chamber

Membership in the American Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands is open to all corporations, firms and small businesses regardless of residence or nationality. Approximately 500 companies represented by over 800 individuals with an interest in US - Netherlands trade relations are currently members of this ever-expanding organization. The Rotterdam Chapter of the American chamber was established in January 2008 and would be delighted to welcome new participants in this business network. Members are typically either American companies operating in the Netherlands or Dutch companies with a business interest in the United States. Professionals whose activities are related to American - Dutch economic relations are also members.

For further information regarding membership and activities, please view the AmCham website.

http://www.amcham.nl