January 27, 2011

Upcoming Important Dates

Enrollment for 2011-12 School Year Begins
Thursday, January 27

Robotics Team Open House and Demo
Thursday, January 27

Flip Friday Begins
Friday, January 28

JV Girls Basketball Game
Friday, January 28

Spring Enrichment Classes Begin
Monday, January 31

Varsity Girls and Varsity Boys Basketball Games
Monday, January 31

JV Boys Basketball Game
Tuesday, February 1

Chinese New Year Mass Greeting
Wednesday, February 2

Grandparents Reception
Wednesday, February 2

No School, Chinese New Year
Thursday, February 3

Regular School Day
Friday, February 4

Please check our school calendar for details about upcoming events. The calendar is updated on a regular basis as events are created. Please check back regularly.

Ski Discounts for February Break and March!

In case you missed the message in your email inbox, we want to make sure you take advantage of these great deals that first and third grade parent, Amy Lui has negotiated with Northstar, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows during February break as well as the first weekend in March.


If you are thinking about hitting the slopes during the season check out the deals on our CAIS ski deal webpage here.

Deadline to sign up for these great deals is Tuesday, February 7. Check out the webpage and if any of the deals interest you, email Amy Lui and she will get back to you with details.

Who knows, maybe you'll bump into the cast of Star Wars like on the slopes!

Celebrating Black History Month and the Civil Rights Movement with CAIS Founding Parent and Civil Rights Activist Carol Ruth Silver

This coming Monday, January 31 CAIS eighth graders along with International High School students and the French American eighth grade class will have a joint assembly in honor of "We're Better Together: Civil Rights Black History Month."

The keynote speaker for the assembly is one of the founders of CAIS, Carol Ruth Silver. Long before CAIS, in June, 1961, she joined the Freedom Rides, a national movement that sought to integrate buses, trains and all interstate passenger travel, and to confront with non-violent action the ongoing segregation in the Southern United States. She was arrested in Jackson, Mississippi and was incarcerated for 40 days as a result of her activities as a Freedom Rider, including at Mississippi's notorious Parchman Penitentiary. From 1961-1964 as a student at the University of Chicago Law School, she recruited and sent legal interns to Mississippi and elsewhere in the South and produced research back-up for civil rights lawyers. She subsequently served three terms on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She will speak to students about her experiences in the Civil Rights movement.


As the first black female television journalist in the western United States, Belva Davis overcame the obstacles of racism and sexism, and helped change the face and focus of television news. Now she is sharing the story of her extraordinary life in her poignantly honest memoir, Never in My Wildest Dreams. A reporter for almost five decades, Davis is no stranger to adversity. Born to a fifteen-year-old Louisiana laundress during the Great Depression, and raised in the overcrowded projects of Oakland, California, Davis suffered abuse, battled rejection and persevered to achieve a career beyond her imagination. She has seen the world change in ways she never could have envisioned, from being verbally and physically attacked while reporting on the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco to witnessing the historic election of Barack Obama in 2008.


If you're interested in hearing more, all families are invited to join us at 9:15 am on Monday, January 31 in the school gym.

***Photo taken by Luis Delgado, parent of CAIS alumna.

Asian Art Museum Docents Needed

Do you have a passion for Asian art and enjoy interacting with people of all ages and backgrounds? If so, then you might be interested in the Asian Art Museum's Docent Training Program, which will begin this August and continue through spring 2014.


Docents provide school age children and adults with a meaningful museum experience by leading them on tours through the galleries, and by providing information about art that illustrate connections across time and cultures.


Through the training program you will learn more about the museum's renowned collection of Asian art and the diverse cultures it represents from museum curators and other internationally recognized scholars of Asian art and history. You will also learn interactive touring techniques and other strategies for engaging with museum visitors.


Click here to learn more about the program and the application process. Applications are due by March 1, 2011.

Chinese New Year Classroom Activities

CAIS classrooms will be bustling with Chinese New Year activities during the week leading up to Mass Greeting as students learn about the traditions surrounding this important celebration.


Click here to download a complete classroom schedule of Chinese New Year activities.

We look forward to celebrating the Year of the Rabbit, year 4708 by Chinese calendar with all of our CAIS family at Mass Greeting on Wednesday, February 2 starting at 9:15 a.m. in the school gym.

Calling all Rock Stars!

Are you a member of an awesome band? Do you know how to make people get up from their seats and dance? We are looking for bands from our own community to get us moving on the dance floor at ShowCAIS 2011.

If you have a great band to share with the community, please contact Alexandra Boyle for more information. We are considering both past ShowCAIS bands and new talent.

ShowCAIS 2011 will take place on Saturday, May 7 at the Ritz-Carlton.

Calling all Rock Stars!

Are you a member of an awesome band? Do you know how to make people get up from their seats and dance? We are looking for bands from our own community to get us moving on the dance floor at ShowCAIS 2011.

If you have a great band to share with the community, please contact Alexandra Boyle for more information. We are considering both past ShowCAIS bands and new talent.

ShowCAIS 2011 will take place on Saturday, May 7 at the Ritz-Carlton.

Salad Dressing Week at CAIS, Huh??

It may sound kind of nutty, but our ever-creative student government group has conceived Salad Dressing Week for all middle school students for the week of February 7-11.

Each day of the week will represent a different salad dressing. Please encourage your middle schooler to participate. We'll share the pictures with you in an upcoming Flash issue.

• Monday: Ranch (Western)
• Tuesday: Thousand Island (Caribbean)
• Wednesday: Caesar (toga/sandals
• Thursday: Blue Cheese (dress in the color blue)
• Friday: House (school colors)

Futsal Season Begins Next Month

Futsal season begins for all fifth through eighth grade students on Monday, February 28. This co-ed, fast paced indoor soccer style game is a popular sport at CAIS. Last year our JV team won the championship trophy and this year as varsity players we hope to do the same!

Practices will be held daily from 3:45-5:00 p.m. in the gym Monday through Friday from February 28 through mid-May. All interested parties please email Athletic Director, Debbie Talbot with player's name, intended practice days and emergency form. and she will get back to you with detailed information.

Basketball Teams are Playoff Contenders

Our four Firedragon basketball teams have been working hard this season on their skills and understanding of the game and it shows in the quality of play and results.


To date, all four teams are in contention for the playoffs which will begin the week of February 7. Finals will be hosted at San Francisco Friends School on Friday, February 11.


Come cheer on our boys and girls varsity teams for on Monday, January 31 in the gym as they enter the final games of the season.

Join CAIS, French American and International High School Families for a Screening of Hal Singer, Keep the Music Going with Filmmaker Guetty Felin

Hal Singer, Keep the Music Going tells the story of the living legendary tenor saxophonist Hal "Cornbread" Singer, an extremely important musician in the evolution and history of jump blues and R&B. Today, at the age of 90, Hal Singer still lives and performs in France, his adopted homeland for over 40 years. Shot between 1991 and 1998, from Paris to Tulsa via New York, Hal Singer's musical journey and his obsession to keep the music going are brilliantly captured in this one hour film. This award-winning film has been to festivals around the world and broadcast on television networks from Europe to Africa. Hal Singer, Keep the Music Going is not only for music lovers, but for all those who are interested in discovering and honoring the lives of important African Americans who have made great contributions to America's rich cultural heritage.

All families are invited to view the film along with the filmmaker on Wednesday, February 16, at the Dennis Gallagher Arts Pavilion located at 66 Page Street. Reception begins at 6:00 p.m., film and discussion with filmmaker at 7:00 p.m.

Click here to view an excerpt of the film.

Celebrating Black History Month and the Civil Rights Movement with CAIS Founding Parent and Civil Rights Activist Carol Ruth Silver

This coming Monday, January 31 CAIS eighth graders along with International High School students and the French American eighth grade class will have a joint assembly in honor of "We're Better Together: Civil Rights Black History Month."

The keynote speaker for the assembly is one of the founders of CAIS, Carol Ruth Silver. Long before CAIS, in June, 1961, she joined the Freedom Rides, a national movement that sought to integrate buses, trains and all interstate passenger travel, and to confront with non-violent action the ongoing segregation in the Southern United States. She was arrested in Jackson, Mississippi and was incarcerated for 40 days as a result of her activities as a Freedom Rider, including at Mississippi's notorious Parchman Penitentiary. From 1961-1964 as a student at the University of Chicago Law School, she recruited and sent legal interns to Mississippi and elsewhere in the South and produced research back-up for civil rights lawyers. She subsequently served three terms on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She will speak to students about her experiences in the Civil Rights movement.


As the first black female television journalist in the western United States, Belva Davis overcame the obstacles of racism and sexism, and helped change the face and focus of television news. Now she is sharing the story of her extraordinary life in her poignantly honest memoir, Never in My Wildest Dreams. A reporter for almost five decades, Davis is no stranger to adversity. Born to a fifteen-year-old Louisiana laundress during the Great Depression, and raised in the overcrowded projects of Oakland, California, Davis suffered abuse, battled rejection and persevered to achieve a career beyond her imagination. She has seen the world change in ways she never could have envisioned, from being verbally and physically attacked while reporting on the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco to witnessing the historic election of Barack Obama in 2008.


If you're interested in hearing more, all families are invited to join us at 9:15 am on Monday, January 31 in the school gym.

***Photo taken by Luis Delgado, parent of CAIS alumna.

"Nihao, Hou Laoshi!" The Best Moment for a Chinese Guest Teacher

In the summer of 2010, Amanda Yan Hou became the guest teacher at the MaST Community Charter School in Philadelphia. In the first day of school, the kids who knew no Chinese were able to say "Nihao, Hou Laoshi!" The students' first Chinese sentence is as beautiful as the best melody in the world! But on the second day, Hou Laoshi totally lost control of her class. After a long night in tears, she realized that she have to cheer up. Click here to read more.