Contents All School News 1 - 3 Pre-K Elementary News 8 - 9

AOSR Contact Information 2 Middle School News 10 - 11

Honor Roll 4 - 5 News from the Counselor 12

PTO News 6 Sports 13

Mayfair 2007 7 March Calendar 14

March Important Dates

2 Progress Reports Distributed 9 Middle School Wellness Day 12 PTO Meeting 9:30am in Boutique 12 RISA Music Festival @ Marymount 14-15 HS One Act Plays 7pm 19 ES Spring Parent Conferences

begin 23 Qtr 3 Ends 29 Spring Concert 7pm

AOSR - VIA CASSIA 811 Phone: 06-334-381 Web:WWW.AOSR.ORG March 2007

The Model United Nations Experience

AOSR’s 60th Anniversary Year

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

The second semester of After School Activities began on Monday 26th February. There is still room in some courses if you wish to register your child. Please come to the ASA office any day from Monday to Friday 3:30pm to 4:45pm.

Fifteen students went to the Hague to represent Ethiopia and The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). See full story on page 3.

Also inside: Cheerleaders take the Bronze at Europeans. See pg. 13 for

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All School News

Plans for the 60th Anniversary Celebrations! By Vicki Aubert, 60th Anniversary Activities Coordinator and AOSR Parent

I am honored to have been asked to serve as the Roma 2007 Coordinator for the AOSR 60th Anniversary Celebration being held in Rome from June 23rd through 25th. My event planning experience comes from serving on the board of the American International Club of Rome as the Events Coordinator for 2006-2007. I am very excited about the plans that are evolving for Roma 2007. We are currently finalizing details for a delicious lunch cruise on the Tiber as our kick-off event the first day, with a number of optional tours available in the afternoon. On Sunday the guests will spend the day at AOSR, touring the school, reconnecting with old friends and reminiscing about their time spent at AOSR. Roma 2007 events will close with a gala held at the beautiful Villa Aurelia on Monday evening where we are planning a fantastic dinner dance with great food by a top Roman caterer and music provided by West Coast Lizzy, a very talented classic rock band that is sure to get everyone up dancing. This is a celebration of AOSR as it was yester-day and as it is today, and we are hoping that anyone who has been connected or is presently connected with the school will attend. We are expecting a great turnout as a number of Alumni in the US have already expressed their interest in attending. The number of participants will definitely grow quickly as the word gets out that this is going to be a GREAT three-day party. Don't forget to mark your calendars!

Reception: Viviana Castagna 06-33438-300 Head of School: Dr. Beth Pfannl 06-33438-331 Secretary : Domenica Losani 06-33438-331 Principal: Matthew Neely 06-33438-326 Principal`s Secretaries: Cathy Garbinsky & 06-33438-326 Shazia Naqui Admissions/Busing: Don Levine 06-33438-311 Secretary: Joanne Hoberg 06-33438-311 Financial Consultant: Elisa Bruno 06-33438-338 HS College Counselor: Lisa Camagna 06-33438-327 School Counselor: Elizabeth Escobar 06-33438-389 Nurse: Diane Cullen-Moore 06-33438-321 After School Activities: Christine Hogan, Margaret Ciuffreda 06-33438-320 ES Coordinator: Susan Prideaux 06-33438-350 MS Coordinator: Sarah Ellyson 06-33438-336 AP/IB Coordinator: Belinda Fiochi 06-33438-337 Resource Room: Ellen Buckley 06-33438-302 Jessica DiCori 06-33438-390

All telephone and internet address corrections should be emailed to principalsoffice@aosr.org.

AOSR Contact Information

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All School News

The MUN Experience By Jacob Kopf

Grooovy! AOSR’s Saturday Night Graffiti event, held on February 3rd was an incredible success. Over 130 guests attended the din-ner dance, another in a series of fundraising events to honor our 60th anniversary. Guests were greeted and served by Na-tional Honor Society students, and, after coats were checked, the party began with aperitivi and conversation. The cafete-ria was transformed into an elegant dining room and discotheque as our staff presented a gourmet meal in 4 courses. DJ Maurizio played hits from the 60s and 70s and guests hit the floor to showcase the dancing moves of yesteryear. The energy lasted well into the evening. A silent auction in a side room generated substantial income for the school with donations ranging from water colors, gar-den and an original Picasso lithograph. Our own students’ work was also up bid as our Tilemania project kicked off. In this project, elementary students’ tiles, created in Art class, can be “purchased.” In fact, these tiles will be mounted on a wall to commemorate our 60th anniversary. An enormous thanks to all of our donors, helpers, servers and guests for making Saturday Night Graffiti a success.

opportunity to make new friendships and meet many differ-ent people from around the world. And in some cases there was catching up with former AOSR students. Overall, eve-ryone learned a great deal about many relevant global is-sues, improved their diplomatic skills, and participated strongly while attending the conference. The trip also provided the students with an occasion to ex-perience what Holland had to offer. The day after arriving in The Hague it was off to Amsterdam for a day trip. There, the students had the opportunity to visit Anne Frank’s house, the RijksMuseum, and the Van Gogh museum. There was also a canal boat tour that allowed for everyone to get a good view of the city. During the week in The Hague there were also group meals that provided some valuable bonding time for the group, and gave everyone a taste of foods from around the world. The cuisines of Indo-nesia, Argentina, Turkey, and Mexico were all enjoyed dur-ing the trip. In addition to all those wonderful foods, french fries with mayonnaise were a delicious daily snack. The city of The Hague had much to offer as well and the central location of the hotel allowed the students to really experi-ence the downtown atmosphere. Some chose to cash in on the after-holiday sales while others headed straight for the KFC. The MUN trip is a great experience. It is stimulating academically, and it also provides the chance to meet fasci-nating people and explore a historic and interesting country.

The conference room is packed, the flags of hun-dreds of nations are waving, and everyone is searching for a seat in the balcony. It is yet another Model United Na-tions conference for the delegation from AOSR. Fifteen students made the journey to The Hague to represent Ethio-pia and The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Months of preparation including keeping up with current events, learning the policies of both Ethiopia and FAO, and practicing public speaking was required of all students be-fore the trip. Early morning wake up calls dragged the young delegates out of bed and eventually to the confer-ence building all week. Upon arrival, current global issues such as disarmament and the environment were discussed intensely. Many of the delegates from AOSR also had the opportunity to make a short speech in front of their respec-tive committees or commissions. Alex P., the ambassador for FAO, gave an excellent speech in front of the entire General Assembly which consisted of thousands of other delegates. Participating in the conference also meant inter-acting with fellow students from many different back-grounds. Real diplomatic skills were employed in a simu-lated diplomatic environment, making it a real learning experience. The months of preparation really paid off dur-ing the week as the AOSR delegates did a very thorough job of representing both FAO and Ethiopia. In addition to the business of the actual conference, there was also a great

60th Anniversary Fundraiser Event on February 3rd was...

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All School News

2006-07 QUARTER 2 HONOR ROLLS

HEAD OF SCHOOL’S HONOR ROLL – 4.0

GRADE 12 GRADE 11 Dana A.-D. Wendy S.

GRADE 10 GRADE 9 Lisa B. Jasmine M. Florencia D.C. David T. Jillian K. Alexander T. Sage R. Jay T. Jiayi W.

PRINCIPAL'S HONOR ROLL – 3.50-3.99

GRADE 12 GRADE 11

Ishan C. Antonia B. Chiara G. Carlo B. Christopher H. Adriano C. Silje H. Valeria D'A. Marion J. Talya K. Jacob K. Silvia M. Michela L. Neal T. Konstantina P. Elena T. Alex P. Caroline V.D.W. Giorgia Q. Leilei X. Maikel T. Jin Kai Z. Nicole Z.

GRADE 10 GRADE 9

Neta B.I. Alice M.A. Dario C. Sadia A. Sydney C. Miranda B. Samantha F. Sania B. Martino G. Julio D.C. Shira G. Elena D.G. Sarah J. Eva E.P. Laura J. Flaminia M. Luka M. Courtney M. David P. Cindy P. Adi S. Benny R. Sara T. Massimo Z. Lisa Y.

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All School News

HONOR ROLL – 3.0-3.49

GRADE 12 GRADE 11 Sabina A. Anna B. Roisin A. Alessio D. Flaminia B. Stefano D.A. Ido B. Matteo G.-B. Darcy B. Liya K. Dennis B. Giulia L. David G. Ludovico L. Tajnim I. Daphne M. Nuwanthika J. Tom Lea M. Mary L. Giovanni M. Nathan M. Vittoria N.D.R. Morel N. Edoardo Q. Annika N. Gioia R. Carlo N.D.R. Danique S. Dario R. Karim Z. Ruby R.-I. Serena Z. Elena T. Silvia V.

GRADE 10 GRADE 9

Ezio B. Elnur A. Andrew C. Richard B. Nina E.P. Jacob F. Gabriele F. Christopher F. James F. Carmen F. Adis K. Rebecca G. Valeria L. Todd K. Morea M. Miranda M. Lorenzo M. Derby R. Jennifer M.N. Paul Daryll S. Federico M. Nikhil S. Seth M. Monica X. Daniela M. Thomas N. Aditya P. Giuseppe S.

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PTO News

PTO OFFICERS 2006-2007

President: Carolyn Grosso, teeumupmom@msn.com Vice-President: open Treasurer: Monique Smits, msmitsh@hotmail.com Secretary: Kecia Dilday, kdilday@earthlink.net

Escape the Soggy Days of Spring By Susan Haight, Boutique Coordinator School Supplies Available

Next PTO Meeting Monday, March 12th, 9:30am

in the Boutique

Deadline for April 2007 Falcon Flyer submissions:

Friday, March 16th to ptonewsletter@aosr.org

Escape the rainy day blues with a trip to The Boutique on March 6, 13, 20 and 27. Our Green Tags will go on Half Price Sale on March 13. (Vendors, please come to retrieve any unsold items that you would like back on March 6.) We are well stocked with children’s ski clothing, videos, and lots more. The Boutique will begin to accept Spring and Summer clothing in March. We will no longer take Winter items. Also all ski clothing and equipment will be removed from the Boutique on April 3rd regardless of the tag color. If you would like any of your items back, please take note of this date. We need to make space for summer clothes. As always, shopping bags are very welcome. So finish your Spring cleaning and bring the best items to sell in the Boutique!

Now that our children are in the 2nd Semester of School, they may be in need of school supplies. The PTO is here to make shopping for school supplies a little easier. Basic School Supplies will be for sale before school at the entrance of the Boutique (near the front parking lot) on Tuesday Mornings, 8:30am to 9:30am, March 6, 13, 20, and 27th. Below is the list of supplies and the prices. If your child is in need of supplies, please send money with them on the above dates and we will be pleased to help them. BINDERS € 2,OO DIVIDERS (for binders) 5 for € 1,50 REFILL LINED PAPER (A-4, 200 sheets) € 1,50 REFILL QUADBLOCK/SQUARED (A-4, 200sheets) €1,50 NOTEBOOKS LINED & SQUARED € 1,00 FOLDERS €1,00 SMALL NOTEBOOKS €1,00 PENS € .50 PENCILS 2 for € .50 MECHANICAL PENCILS €.50 ERASERS €.50 RULERS €.50

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American Overseas School of Rome 60th Anniversary

Let’s all celebrate together

Great games, food and prizes!

Saturday, May 12, 2007

11:00 am – 4 pm

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This Month in Pre-K By Ms. Mmurphy, Pre-K Coordinator

Bridges… As part of our fairy tale unit, The “Spider Group” has read several versions of The Three Billy Goats Gruff and retold and acted out the story as well. One day, children were asked, working in groups of two or three, to create a bridge connecting two tables that would help get the goat to the other side using only recycled mate-rials and tape. At the end of the project, when all the groups were fin-ished making their bridges, they took a look at each others’ bridges and a child asks, “Why don’t we join all the bridges so that the goats can walk all over?” Good question, perhaps a challenge for another day.

Pre-K and Elementary News

Exploring Science On Thursday, the 15th of February, the two Kindergarten classes at AOSR were in for a big treat! A guest speaker from the United States who is a scientist talked to the chil-dren about what being a scientist is like, and each child became a scientist by conducting a few simple experi-ments. Mr. Greene talked to the children about the impor-tance of safety in science and why scientists wear gog-gles. Each child was then presented with goggles. Then, the children were taught about common scientific tech-niques used by most scientists, such as the separation of the components of certain particles. The children were able to remove the color of M&M candies, place these colors in one main solution and then split the colors apart once again. The children enjoyed this quite a bit! Next, the children saw Mr. Greene generate a glow in the dark substance that resembles that of a firefly. To finish off this explosive event, the children all went outside to wit-ness a few interactions that resulted in slight explosions. What an exciting day it was. We will probably see many scientists in the future in this group!

Kindergarten By Ms. Antinucci and Ms. Natale

Elemtary School Tilemania Project FOR AOSR’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY

The ceramic tiles that all the students in ES from Kindergarten to Grade five painted in art class are exquisite. Some are on display in the glass case outside the villa. The designs all portray a feature of AOSR’s diamond jubilee. The tiles that are donated by parents will be mounted and be on display on a school wall prior to the spring break.

If any parent wishes to “donate” their child’s tile to AOSR please go to the receptionist in the villa.

FIRST GRADE Ms. Redd and Ms. Tausend

Losing teeth is a big deal in 1st grade. When the tooth fairy visits, she will find those special teeth in a beautifully sewn tooth pillow. We will be learning all about dental hygiene. On the 100th day of school we will be sharing our 100th day home projects. Come by and see them hanging on dis-play in our rooms. St. Patrick’s Day is very exciting. Will we catch the leprechaun in our leprechaun traps? We hope so. We will spend time learning about special authors such as Tommie de Paolo, Jan Brett and Dr. Seuss. Author stud-ies are always interesting to learn about. Who knows maybe we will have the next Eric Carle in 1st grade.

Their finished bridge.

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Elementary News -continued SECOND GRADE

Ms. Ciuffreda and Ms. Prisco

The second graders celebrated Valentines Day by exchanging Valentine cards and eating “hearts” (cookies). For Carnival the students dressed up in costumes, learnt and performed the “Tarantella” together, and ate Carnival delights! In March Grade two will be out and about! On March 15 there will be a half-day visit to the Prehistoric section of the Pigorini museum, where we shall see fossils, tools and bronze artefacts. On March 30 we will go on our annual full day trip (9:00am to 5:30pm) to Blera, Viterbo for an archaeological experience – the students will be able to simulate the work of an archaeologist by participating in hands-on activities such as excavating, sieving, plotting, drawing and classify-ing various artefacts that they find. In addition they will make coil pots and grind corn. These budding archaeolo-gists will observe metal being smelted and the manufacture of a tool. One highlight of this trip is to see Mr.Angelo use a rock, a special fungus and dry straw to make fire just like Neanderthal man. These field trips enhance the second grade social studies unit on Early Man, paleontology and archaeological methods.

THIRD GRADE Mr. Harroo and Ms. Rumsby

Some of us went skiing, some of us preferred warmer climes and some of us stayed in Rome, how did you spend your break? Valentine’s Day was a great success, most of the children made beautiful cards and letters to give to their classmates. The children are really getting into geometry and deepening their knowledge of decimals and fractions, what smart kids they are. The publishing project is drawing to a closure and soon the books will be printed and laminated, what great writers 3rd grade are. Don’t forget to give in your recipes (word format) to Beatrice Fiore, we are hoping to have a 3rd grade cookbook soon. Watch this spot to find out what our musical will be about this year…

FOURTH GRADE Ms. De Paolis and Ms. Piccirilli

Reading: In reading we always practise reading out loud. Mrs. De Paolis always helps us if we have trouble with anything in Reading class inspiring us to be great readers when we grow up! Current Events: In Current Events we do many tests according to holidays like Valentines Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Halloween. This is a hard class but we learn interesting things from it and we read articles about things that we never imagined! P.E.:Mr.Rice teaches us about many different and creative sports that are good for us and we have a lot of fun too! Everybody cheers when it is time for P.E.! Composition: Composition is a great and fun way to increase your writing skills and to have great stories on dis-play to read when anyone passes by our classrooms! Re-cently we wrote : Just So stories, Fables and Color Poems. Math: Math is a hard class but it is very important in your life! Our teacher Mrs.Piccirilli is a great teacher! She teaches us many things in each math class.

FIFTH GRADE Ms. Hogan, Mr. Redd and Ms. Wheeler

In science the students have been learning about the Periodic Table. Their knowledge of Italian helps them to understand the Latin origin of the names of the elements. Our trip to the Museum of Roman Civilization was fantastic. The biggest hits were the weapons of war and the model of the Colosseum. We are now going to focus on the Middle Ages; a fun and fascinating time in history. Mrs.Hogan is coordinating ALL the costumes for the musical play “Robin Hood” which involves much sew-ing and altering! The costumes will be ready in early March. Thank you to the parents who are providing their own child’s costume.

“Robin Hood”, the novel written by Antonia Fraser, is giving us a lot of historical background that will help us realistically produce the play in April. We are connecting literature to history, which is aiding in our understanding of both subjects. While we are reading we have been working on the skill of summarizing, often organizing our informa-tion with web maps and lists. Along the way, we have been picking up some important Old English vocabulary, as well as literal devices such as similes and foreshadowing. We are also enjoying learning more about the characters we will be portraying in the production of “Robin Hood”. We have been exploring the relationships between the characters, as well as their mindsets, which has us all excited!

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Middle School News By Sarah Ellyson

Wellness. What does it mean to you? This is the question which AOSR Middle Schoolers were asked to discuss during a recent advisory period to help set the stage for this year’s Wellness Day. Groups’ responses included health, nutrition, hygiene, emotions, exercise, and the environment. Following the discussion, each student completed a Concerns I Have… survey. Grade level results were tallied with the greatest concerns in order of importance listed below: 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade Time management Time management Feelings of sadness Doing well in school Stress Peer pressure Anger control Feelings of sadness Alcohol and drugs Stress Eating disorders Questions about body/sex Feelings of sadness Doing well in school Time management Questions about the body Dating and relationships Doing well in school Dating and relationships Anger control Stress Sports and exercise The environment Dating and relationships From these areas of concern, we are busy shaping the plans and session offerings for the Middle School Wellness Day! During the day, students will rotate to sessions in grade level groups. The day will begin with an opening session and end with a culminating energizing group activity, along with all students and speakers receiving a special memento to keep the spirit of Wellness Day with them as they make decisions about their health and wellness. Some of the session offerings which are already planned are the following:

Environmental Issues Study Skills Boot Camp Smoking Cultural Cliques Tai Chi Positive Vibes Stress and anxiety be gone

In order for this day to be a success we need to have all students to school on Friday, March 9, 2007, and all talents and expertise within the community given an opportunity to shine. If you have any last minute ideas or sessions to share, please contact Sarah Ellyson at mscoordinator@aosr.org to share your thoughts.

Media Awareness and body image Girls’ and Boys’ Bodies Dangers of Addiction Internet etiquette and safety Healthy eating Yoga Conflict Resolution

Middle School Wellness Day Friday, March 9, 2007

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Middle School News By Sarah Ellyson

Spring into Good School Habits Tips for Middle Schoolers and their Families to ensure a Strong Spring of Studies! 1. Use the homework diary / journal to record long and short term assignments. 2. Check off assignments as they are completed – it feels great to accomplish tasks! 3. Pack the back pack with all school materials for classes the night before. 4. When students are absent, parents are to call the office to notify the school. 5. For known absences, parents call the office in advance and have students tell all of their teachers to know what they will miss while away from classes. 6. After any absence, students should bring a note to the principal’s office and receive an ‘admit slip’ to bring to all classes which they missed. 7. Students returning from an absence of any kind are to see all of their teachers to know what was missed and make up work, activities or get the class notes. Students are to communicate with teachers regarding any questions about class.

Following these reminders can help to keep ALL Middle School com-munity members on the right track for a successful second semester

Middle School Events On the Horizon:

Friday, March 9 MS Wellness Day 9 am – 3:20 pm

** Parent volunteers needed for morning snack break

Friday, March 30 Middle School Booster Bar **Parent volunteers needed 2 – 5:30 pm Friday, April 27 MS Spring BBQ, Talent Show and Dance 5 – 10:30 pm

News from the Stett Harrison MS/HS Library

By Molly Bianchini and Marta Rahm, HS Librarians

The HS Librarians have been busy with student orienta-tions this month. Ms. Lambre’s 6th and 8th graders vis-ited the library twice and are scheduled for more follow up sessions. These students are learning the efficient use of the library and helpful research strategies using the OPAC (online public access catalogue) and the EBSCO database. Follow up meetings will focus on comparing and contrasting different resources (written and online.) Ms. Lambre and Mrs. Bianchini will instruct students on how to write a research report and on using the appropri-ate citation style for a paper. The library through Mrs. Rahm is also promoting Wellness Day follow up sessions for grades 3, 4 and 5 facilitating the development of good nutritional habits and positive body image through media literacy. Thank you PTO! The books ordered with the PTO’s donation have arrived. The focus of this order was sports and countries around the world. Please come and browse!

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News from the Counselor by Ms. Lisa Camagna, College Counselor

counselor@aosr.org

ATTENTION 11TH GRADE PARENTS:

11th Graders should begin to make appointments for individual college meetings with Ms. Camagna. Please ask your son or daughter to begin thinking about their post high school plans.

11th Graders Need to Register for the SAT by March 29st

SAT I Reasoning Test

Saturday, May 5th This is extremely important

ALL 11th graders should consider taking this test even if the student is not sure whether he/she will go to college in the States. Many of the UK, Canadian, and European Universities expect AOSR students to have an SAT score because we are an American High School.

All registration is done ONLINE.

Visit: www.collegeboard.com (AOSR’s CEEB Code is 748480; our TEST CENTER Number is 58380). Testing begins on Saturday morning at 7:45 and ends around 1:30. It is extremely important for 11th graders to take this test in the spring—please do not wait until the fall of next year.

TESTING INFORMATION: AOSR will serve as a Testing Center for the upcoming SAT I, SAT II, and ACT Tests. SAT I and SAT II tests will be administered at AOSR on May 5th and June 2nd for students who have regis-tered online through The College Board (www.collegeboard.com). Students who did not register in time may attempt to test “stand-by” by arriving to the school the morning of the test at 7:15 am. The extra testing spaces are distributed on a first come first served basis!

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Sports Briefs

AOSR won its first-ever award in cheerleading at the European winter sports championships in Mannheim, Ger-many on February 24. The ten-girl cheer squad placed third in the 10-school Division III competition which was won by Ansbach of Germany. Go girls! The AOSR boys basketball team finished 5th after winning their first two games over Marymount and London Central, then losing to Hanau and Giessen from Germany. The Falcons’ chances of advancing to the final four disappeared when center Chris F. suffered a serious hand injury. The Falcon girls finished 7th, beating Mary-mount but losing to three teams from Germany and Spain. For the boys, the tournament was disappointing, but the season was fantastic. AOSR won 14 games and lost only 3, beating all rivals in their own Division in Italy. This was the best won-lost record in recent memory. Cheer squad captain Neta B.I. and boys basketball star Carlo B. were both selected for the all-Europe teams. Se-lections are made by opposing coaches.

AOSR Cheer Squad Brings Home the Bronze

Let’s Hear it for Soccer!

Now Playing at AOSR…go teams!!!

AOSR Boys Basketball Team AOSR Girls Basketball Team

Three wrestlers from AOSR went to Germany to compete at Europeans. It was the first time to Euro-peans for David T. , Joey G., Anthony R. who all faced tough competition, but according to David T., “It was a great event to be part of and we now what to expect at the European competition next year.”

Three AOSR Wrestlers go to Europeans

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