"I Love China" Birthday Card
The Marketing Department of Aston (namely Serena Zhu) had the bright idea of involving teachers, students, and staff in making a birthday card for China. This is in time for the upcoming national holidays during the first week of October.
Teachers (FTs and CTs), students, and staff are to be given little China flag stickers. Everybody is to write down their sincere good wishes for China's continued development and progress on the occasion of China's 59th anniversary as a nation.
The flag stickers are then to be stuck into the shape of the message "I Love China" on the yellow cloth that would comprise the background for the card. This is to be done as a class activity led by the teachers and their students during the break times between classes. Lines are to be encouraged while students get to post their flag messages onto the yellow cloth set up at the end of the hallway in each Jinan Aston School location.
Later on the completed birthday card will be photographed. A copy of the photograph is to be sent to the local newspapers as part of an article on Aston English School.
Updated Term Schedule
The updated term schedule that goes with the scheduled holidays for the term (Mid-Autumn, National Holiday, Spring Festival, etc. may be found on the Aston School Calendar Page . The online calendar for the Children's Schedule has been corrected as well.
Homework Policy
Below is a list of the Aston Levels and the teachers responsible for the assigning, collection, and correction of homework. Generally, homework is done on a weekly basis unless otherwise indicated.
PC1-PC3 Weekly Written Homework (CT) + Book-based Homework (CT)
C1 Weekly Written Homework (CT) + Weekly Workbook-based Homework (CT)
C2-C3 Weekly Written Homework (CT) + Weekly Workbook-based Homework (FT)
C4-C5 Weekly Written Homework (FT) + Weekly Workbook-based Homework (CT)
C6-C9 Written Homework (FT) or Workbook-based Homework (FT) on alternate weeks
C10 Written Homework (FT) or Book-based Homework on alternate weeks.
Note: Please note that the indicated homework policy above concerns practice or ungraded homework. This means the homework is collected and corrected but does not earn the student any marks or demerits.
On the other hand, assessed homework is the Foreign Teacher's responsibility, regardless of the homework policy above. Assessed /Graded homework is given twice before the midterm period and twice after the midterm period. Assessed homework refers to written homework (not workbook/book-based homework). It is meant to be assigned, collected, corrected, and graded consistently by the FT. Students should be forewarned about which homework is assessed homework so that they are aware that it is meant to earn them a grade.
Children's Courses and Core Texts
Young Beginners
PC1 - PC3 English Playground 1-3
C1 Aston Interactive 1
Beginners
C2 Aston Interactive 2
C3 Aston Interactive 3
Elementary
C4 Aston Interactive 4
C5 Aston Interactive 5
Intermediate
C6 Aston Activate 1
C7 Aston Activate 2
C8 Aston Activate 3
C9 Aston Activate 4
Advanced
C10 Aston Fluency 1
C11 Aston Fluency 2
C12 Aston Fluency 3
C13 Aston Fluency 4
C14 Teacher - Made Materials
Teachers' books generally accompany each of the Aston books above.
Help Session and Grammar Classes
Help sessions and Grammar classes are intended to help struggling students. Help sessions are handled by Foreign teachers while Grammar classes are handled by Chinese teachers. If a student is struggling in class, such a student could be recommended by the class teachers (FT and CT make the joint decision) to join a help session or grammar class.
The proper form should be filled out and filed at the Aston front desk area. The relevant information should be filled in to indicate the students' name, level and language problem area. In the case of help sessions, only one language problem at a time may be addressed during one help session which is to last for 30 minutes. The front desk staff would then match up the student with the help session teacher (FTs who have been tapped to conduct regular help sessions on their working schedules or whenever necessary.)
Grammar classes are recommended for students whose language concerns are a bit more serious and require more attention. Grammar classes are handled mainly by CTs and are conducted regularly during the course of a term. FTs and CTs can suggest to a student's parent or guardian that they inquire at the front desk area to arrange grammar classes for their child.
Teachers are forewarned that a struggling student in danger of failing class should have been sent to no less than 3 help sessions. This will prevent problems in the future concerning the teachers' responsibility on improving student learning.
Post-Exam Reminders (After Midterm / Finals Exams)
passport_comments.doc | |
File Size: | 73 kb |
File Type: | doc |
how_to_have_a_parents_meeting2.doc | |
File Size: | 26 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Short Description of File:
Student Passport Comments (a.k.a. Report Card Comments)
General Categories of Comments
Work Habits
Academic Achievement
Student Behavior
Personality and Attitude
Additional:
End-of-the-Year Comments
These comments are not required, but if you do wish to include constructive comments, here are some samples. These may also be used in communications with parents/guardians. These are especially useful when filling out the following portions/sections of the Student Passport(Report Card).
During Midterms:
Midterm Exam Comments
During Finals:
Final Exam Comments
Assessment of Strengths/Weaknesses
Overall Assessment
Short Description of File:
How to Have a Parent’s Meeting after Exam Week
The last twenty-five minutes of the class will be set aside for calling in the parents and giving out student reports and assessments. It is roughly divided as follows:
- 5 minutes – calling in the parents, bringing in more chairs into the room if necessary, or getting the kids to sit on their parent’s laps and settling down everybody in preparation for the meeting, and conducting a brief orientation about Aston.
- 15 minutes – having a demo class (a cross-section of the actual class in session and having the kids go through a practice activity that they know very well). Don’t bring in an activity that is yet to be tried out in class for the first time.
- 5 minutes – giving out passports, entertaining questions using additional documents if necessary (on-going assessment form, student exam assessment form) to support the marks and comments stated in the passports. FT and CT will help entertain parents who have comments or questions for the latter part of the class.