Weekly Update, Monday, 14, September, 2026

Dear colleagues,

Thank you for navigating a strangely divided and somewhat fragmented past week. With interruptions to our usual rhythm, it may have felt difficult at times to maintain coherence and momentum. This week brings several important disruptions, including MAP testing in grades 3-5, Elementary School photos, Dot Day, Restorative Justice training for leaders on Thursday, and whole-faculty and staff training on Friday.

Even exciting changes to a familiar schedule can create additional stress and uncertainty for children and adults. Thank you in advance for providing the calm, consistency, and reassurance our students need. Your thoughtfully designed learning experiences, clear routines, and steady presence create the conditions for children to remain engaged, curious, and ready to learn even when the week looks different from usual.

MAP Growth Assessments

Students in Grades 3–5 will begin MAP Growth assessments on Monday. Please help students approach the sessions calmly and confidently, reminding them that MAP is not a high-stakes test but one source of information that helps us plan their next learning steps. Students should take their time, persevere when questions become challenging, and simply do their best.

Professional Growth

Our Restorative Justice training offers an important opportunity for our organization to come together around our strategic commitment to belonging. Restorative practice is not simply a response to conflict or challenging behavior. It strengthens relationships, builds trust, and helps students understand how their choices affect others and the wider community.

This work connects closely with our daily Community Time and the language we use when guiding children through disagreements, mistakes, and difficult emotions. It can help us establish a more consistent approach to developing connectedness, accountability, empathy, and conflict-resolution skills across the school. Restorative practice does not mean avoiding consequences or compromising expectations for student character and integrity. Instead, it helps us ensure that consequences are purposeful, proportionate, and connected to learning, reflection, responsibility, and repairing harm.

When students experience conflict, our goal is not only to stop the immediate behavior. We also want them to understand what happened, recognize its impact, take responsibility, and develop the skills to make a more thoughtful choice next time. This is demanding and important work, and Friday’s training will give us shared language and practical strategies to support it.

Duties

Please review the Week of September 14 tab in the duty schedule for this week’s updated assignments. Please search for your name to ensure that you do not miss an assigned duty.

The weather forecast is looking slightly cooler. If recess can take place outside, please refer to the regular duty schedule for your assigned location. If it rains, the classes scheduled for the greenbelt will go to their classrooms, not the library. The two colleagues assigned to greenbelt duty will supervise students on that floor.

Thank you for staying attentive and flexible as we continue to balance movement opportunities with safe, effective supervision.

School Photos, September 15 and 17

Elementary School photos will take place on Tuesday, September 15, and Thursday, September 17. Please review the schedule here and prepare your students for their assigned time.

Your support with transitions and punctuality will help the process run smoothly and minimize interruptions to learning.

Dot Day, September 16

On Wednesday, remember to wear polka dots as we celebrate creativity, courage, and a growth mindset!

Dot Day reminds us that even a small mark can become the beginning of something meaningful when someone is encouraged to take a risk, explore an idea, and believe in their potential. I look forward to seeing how our students and many faculty and staff members bring the day to life.

Wednesday Professional Learning and Reflection

On Wednesday, we will follow the same program and schedule we used last week. We will begin by launching our annual SEEDS work and then spend time together as an Elementary School team reflecting on our somewhat unusual start to the school year.

We will identify the practices, structures, and experiences that worked particularly well and should be protected or strengthened. We will also consider what we could adjust next time to make the beginning of the year even more coherent, welcoming, and rewarding for faculty, students, and parents.

This reflection is not simply about evaluating events. It is an opportunity to learn together and improve the systems that support our community. Your observations and practical ideas will help us keep building a school where people feel known, supported, and able to contribute.

Although the week will be busy, it also brings meaningful opportunities to celebrate creativity, deepen our learning, and strengthen our shared approach to belonging and relationships.

Have an exciting week ahead and keep one eye on the approaching weekend, which generously extends all the way through Monday!

Katie, Jill, and Heikki

Soccer rotation (if playing outside this week)

Grades 1, 2 & 3	Grades 4 & 5	Grades 1, 2 & 3	Grades 4 & 5	No Soccer
Mondays	Tuesdays	Wednesday	Thursdays	Fridays

Day	Morning	Afternoon
Mon, Sept 14 Day 3
Tue, Sept 15  Day 4	School Photos
Wed, Sept 16 Day 4	Dot Day	14:40 - 15:30 SEEDS 15:30 - 16:30 Reflection Session
Thu, Sept 17 Day 6	School Photos
Fri, Sept 18	PD Day; No School for students

Future Dates: September 14-17, Gr 3 - 5 MAP testing September 18, Whole School PD Day: Restorative Justice September 18- 21, Long weekend, Respect for the Aged September 22-23, Gr 3 - 5 MAP testing continued October 12, Sports Day (No school, community event; all families invited;  all faculty and staff joining for organization and supervision)

Upcoming Wednesday PD   September 23 - Community Time, Behavior, CPOMS refresher  September 30 - ES Vision/ Writing Curriculum  October 7 - Seeds/ Sports Day

Weekly Updates, Monday, 7 September, 2026

Dear colleagues,

Thank you for navigating an exceptionally busy week. Between Tuesday’s morning briefing, Wednesday’s professional learning, new recess protocols, collaboration, and the new format for Back-to-School Night, it was a full and important week for our Elementary School community.

Throughout it all, you maintained a sense of calm and ensured that meaningful learning continued in our classrooms each day. Your professionalism, flexibility, and care for our students were evident throughout the week. Thank you for continuing to create the conditions in which children feel known, supported, and ready to learn.

This week, we will focus on the launch of SEEDS with Clover. The second part of Wednesday’s professional learning time will be dedicated to reflecting on the start of the school year, including our in-service week, New Family Orientation, Listening Conferences, Back-to-School Night, and the new recess protocols. This will be an opportunity to celebrate what has worked well, identify what we have learned, and consider the adjustments that will strengthen our systems and practices.

Assembly: Thursday, September 10, 10:45–11:15 a.m.

Come ready to learn the CA song, play a game, hear a few updates, and discover what all the excitement about dots is!

Duties

Please review the September 7 tab in the duty schedule for this week’s updated duties. Search for your name to ensure that you do not miss an assigned duty.

The weather forecast is looking slightly cooler. If recess can take place outside, please refer to the regular duty schedule for your assigned location.

As you experience the new recess arrangements, please keep track of what is working well and where challenges remain. We will discuss both during Wednesday afternoon’s broader reflection on the start of the school year.

PE Equipment During Indoor Recess

To ensure consistent indoor-recess routines across all grade levels, please refer to the photo below for the standard gym setup and available equipment.

Please use the green divider to separate the gym into two areas. From the designated supervision point, you should be able to monitor both sides.

• Red door: Keep it closed and locked throughout recess.

• Nets: Badminton and volleyball nets will be available, complementing our current Net Games unit.

• Balls and hula hoops: Return them to the cart.

• Giant volleyball: Return it to the yellow basket.

• Badminton rackets and birdies: Return them to the blue plastic container.

Thank you for helping students use the equipment safely and return everything to its proper place. These shared routines help recess run smoothly and allow students to enjoy active play—even when the weather keeps us indoors.

Please contact Trevor or Kikoy if you have any questions about the gym setup.

As we enter another full week, let us continue building on the calm, care, and sense of belonging that you have already established. The start of a school year asks a great deal of everyone, but it also gives us the opportunity to learn, adjust, and grow together.

Let’s have another excellent week of learning!

Katie, Jill, and Heikki

Soccer rotation (if playing outside this week)

Grades 1, 2 & 3	Grades 4 & 5	Grades 1, 2 & 3	Grades 4 & 5	No Soccer
Mondays	Tuesdays	Wednesday	Thursdays	Fridays

Day	Morning	Afternoon
Mon, Sept 7 Day 7
Tue, Sept 8  Day 8
Wed, Sept 9 Day 9		14:40 - 15:30 SEEDS 15:30 - 16:30 Reflection Session
Thu, Sept 10 Day 1	10:45 Assembly
Fri, Sept 11 Day 2

Future Dates: September 14-17, Gr 3 - 5 MAP testing September 18, Whole School PD Day: Restorative Justice September 18- 21, Long weekend, Respect for the Aged September 22-23, Gr 3 - 5 MAP testing continued October 12, Sports Day (No school, community event; all families invited;  all faculty and staff joining for organization and supervision)

Weekly Updates, Monday, 31 September, 2026

Dear colleagues,

This week brings us into September and an exciting milestone: our newly redesigned Back-to-School Night. Thank you for the thought and care you are putting into completing the grade-level information packages and preparing to welcome our families. This new format gives us an important opportunity to strengthen connections, share our Elementary School vision, and help families understand how we create the conditions for high-quality learning throughout the year.

We will also hold our first monthly morning briefing on Tuesday, beginning at 7:50 a.m. in the Library Presentation Space. During the briefing, we will share information about upcoming events and important dates. It will also provide an opportunity for teaching teams to share relevant updates with colleagues.

On Wednesday, we will briefly revisit our Adaptive Schools learning and continue thinking about how we organize and facilitate meetings to support collaboration, collegiality, and productive team dialogue. Teams will also have time to continue developing and finalizing their team norms.

Please also take some time to review the Toddle Portfolio Guidelines with your team.

As we discussed last Wednesday, the Heat Recess Locations for this week can be found here. We are trying two lunch rotations this week, which will slightly alter some duty times. Please check the duty schedule carefully so that you know where you need to be. Thank you for informing your students of their play locations each morning and helping them adjust smoothly to the lunchtime changes. Your consistency and support will make this new approach much easier for everyone.

Soap dispensers in the bathrooms

Some soap dispensers have been unscrewed, resulting in unnecessary waste. Please remind students to use them properly and to show respect for our shared spaces and the work of our cleaning staff.

We have another full and important week ahead. Thank you for continuing to support one another, for remaining flexible as we refine our systems, and for bringing positive energy to our students and families. Let’s make our first Back-to-School Night in this new format a welcoming, informative, and joyful evening for our community.

Let’s have a wonderful, and hopefully slightly cooler, week ahead!

Katie, Jill, and Heikki

Soccer rotation (if playing outside this week)

Grades 1, 2 & 3	Grades 4 & 5	Grades 1, 2 & 3	Grades 4 & 5	No Soccer
Mondays	Tuesdays	Wednesday	Thursdays	Fridays

Day	Morning	Afternoon
Mon, Aug 31 Day 2
Tue, Sept 1  Day 3	7:50 - 8:25 am ES Faculty Briefing  in the Library
Wed, Sept 2 Day 4		Adaptive Schools: Team Norms BTSN information package
Thu, Sept 3 Day 5		Dinner at school ES Back to School Night
Fri, Sept 4 Day 6

Future Dates: September 14-17, Gr 3 - 5 MAP testing September 18, Whole School PD Day: Restorative Justice September 18- 21, Long weekend, Respect for the Aged September 22-23, Gr 3 - 5 MAP testing continued October 12, Sports Day (No school, community event; all families invited;  all faculty and staff joining for organization and supervision)

Weekly Updates, Monday, 24 August, 2026

Dear colleagues,

We are excited to enter our first full week of learning, following our regular schedule and putting into practice all the community-building routines and expectations we introduced last week.

We recognize that last week was hectic and, at times, felt a little like jumping into the deep end for all of us. Many of our start-of-year protocols were brand new, and we were learning together as we went. It is fair to say that some of our plans will need to be carefully revised to ensure everyone is fully energized and prepared for the actual work of teaching and learning, with more time (there is never quite enough, but still) for individual and collaborative planning.

We will gather important feedback and information from this new start and do our best to learn from it. Our goal is not simply to get through a new process, but to understand what worked, what created unnecessary pressure, and what we want to remember when we plan the start of the next school year. Thank you for your flexibility, professionalism, and willingness to problem-solve together.

This week brings us to the heart of our Back-to-School Night preparation. The plan is to send pertinent grade-level information to parents in advance and to use the actual evening primarily for relationship-building and connection. There will be no formal grade-level or subject-area presentations this year. Instead, we hope to bring parents onto campus to meet one another, strengthen their sense of belonging to our community, connect with teachers, and explore our facilities. This will also provide an opportunity for families to better understand the purpose of the flexible learning spaces we are currently using to personalize learning and create different conditions for students to learn, collaborate, and grow.

Our Wednesday professional learning time will focus on clarifying expectations for the content and format of the information we will share with families, while also protecting time for teams to plan for learning.

On Friday, we launch our assembly season, facilitated by Jill. This first assembly will give us an opportunity to

welcome our new students, get to know our new teachers, and reconnect around some important CA Way reminders.

Please follow this seating chart for the assembly in the Main Theatre and be ready for a 9:30 AM start.

The plan for the assembly is to:

• introduce our new teachers;

• welcome our new students, who will be invited to stand;

• revisit a few important CA Way expectations and reminders.

New teachers, please edit your introduction slide in this Canva slide deck by the end of the day on Wednesday.

CA Way Posters

If you need a CA Way poster for your classroom or learning space, please stop by the ES Office to pick one up.

Acadience – Reading Assessment

Acadience assessments can begin during WIN time starting in Cycle 2. Resources will be distributed to teams during the coming week.

Training will also be provided for teachers who are new to Acadience. More information regarding training dates and times will follow shortly.

Hot Weather Update

We will continue to follow the Japanese government's guidance on heat safety. This means that morning and afternoon recesses will continue to take place in classrooms for the time being.

During lunch recess, we will follow our rainy-day rotations. If you are on duty, please make sure you know where you are expected to be during each recess period.

In the meantime, we are exploring ways to use available indoor spaces to provide students with more opportunities for movement, play, and connection while the hot weather continues. Thank you for your flexibility as we work to keep students safe while still creating opportunities for them to enjoy their breaks.

As we move into the rhythm of the school year, I hope we can keep our attention on what matters most: creating the conditions in which students and adults can do their best learning. The beginning of a year is never perfectly tidy—and perhaps it should not be. We are building routines, relationships, systems, and trust at the same time. Thank you for the energy, patience, humor, and professional care you have already brought to this work.

Let’s have an amazing week of learning and getting to know our wonderful students!

Katie, Jill, and Heikki

Anticipated Indoor Lunch Recess Plan 

Rainy Day/ Heat Day	Classrooms & Commons  (Location A)	Classrooms & Commons (Location B)	Library	ELAC Gym
Mon, Day 6	Grades 2&3	Grade 4	Grade 5	Grade 1
Tue, Day 7	Grade 4	Grade 5	Grade 1	Grades 2&3
Wed, Day 8	Grade 5	Grade 1	Grades 2&3	Grades 4
Thu, Day 9	Grade 1	Grades 2&3	Grade 4	Grade 5
Fri, Day 10	Grades 2&3	Grade 4	Grade 5	Grade 1

Soccer rotation (if playing outside this week)

Grades 1, 2 & 3	Grades 4 & 5	Grades 1, 2 & 3	Grades 4 & 5	No Soccer
Mondays	Tuesdays	Wednesday	Thursdays	Fridays

Day	Morning	Afternoon
Mon, Aug 24 Day 6	First full week of learning
Tue, Aug 25  Day 7
Wed, Aug 26 Day 8		14:40 Wednesday Learning: BBT BTSN preparation/Team time
Thu, Aug 28 Day 9
Fri, Aug 29 Day 1	9:30 Assembly in the Main Theater

Future Dates: September 3, ES Back to School Night September 14-17, Gr 3 - 5 MAP testing September 18, Whole School PD Day: Restorative Justice September 18- 21, Long weekend, Respect for the Aged September 22-23, Gr 3 - 5 MAP testing continued October 12, Sports Day (No school, community event; all families invited; all faculty and staff joining for organization and supervision)