Weekly Wellness Blog: Wednesday, February 26th

On Monday, February 24th, one of our tiniest community members underwent open-heart surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center. She is in recovery. The Zirkle-Prabhakar family appreciated the love and support they received from around the world. Thank you for sending your positive thoughts and well wishes to little Athena,
#AthenaHeartWarrior

Coming Up On Campus!

Wellness Wednesday Afternoon: February 26th, 2020

Today is our Early Release Wellness Wednesday! Please make sure that you have signed up for the session(s) of your choice, using this link. Please note the adapted schedule to to accommodate a Safety and Security At Home Briefing by Joseph Jung, Regional Officer at the US Consulate of Chennai.

Wellness Wednesday - February 26th, 2020 - Early Release Schedule

Adapted

2:15 - 3pm Session One

3:10 - 4:05pm Session Two

2:15 - 4:05pm Full Session

4:15 - 5:00pm US Consulate Presentation, in the FAC

*Refreshments and snacks will be available from 4pm onwards; in the upstairs lobby by the theater in FAC.

Operation Appreciation: Treat Day & AISC Staff Appreciation Day

What would we do without the amazing AISC Staff?! Very little, I would guess. This time of year is special for Operation Appreciation. It happens just before Friday, 13 March's Staff Appreciation Day. March is all about Our Staff! Because of this, and so much more, this survey has 3 asks and should be completed no later than Wednesday, 26 February.

AISC Libraries Book Swap

The AISC Libraries want to celebrate Earth Week with the community by organizing a way to reuse your previously loved books! If you have any gently used books at home (in any language and/or genre) that you'd like to donate, please bring them to the ES/MS or HS Library. We will accept books for babies, toddlers, children, teens, and adults, as long as they are in good condition. For every two books that are donated, you will receive a ticket for one free book at the Book Swap! 

Please contact Barbara Bowman at bbarbara@aischennai.org if you have any questions. 

Mindfulness Training Opportunities!

As a follow-up to Shez and Ula’s inspiring presentation on Mindfulness at AISC we are sharing two links.

1. Mindfulness Resources website on it you’ll find useful tools, the video shared and a list of faculty willing to share their experiences with Mindfulness in the classroom. We’ll also add this link to the Raptor Way and the section faculty notes.
2. AISC supported training information and signup page. Indications of interest close next Wednesday, February 26 to ensure a cohort can join the March training.

Upcoming Event Suggestions

There are all sorts of different events in Chennai! 

What would you like to see highlighted on this blog? Please comment below on this blog and/or email Keeley at tkeeley@aischennai.org with some suggestions and they will be highlighted on the blog!

Upcoming Birthdays!

Jayanthi Ramakrishna	March 4
Priyadharshini V	March 4
Ryan Fletcher	March 4
Vanessa Lopez	March 5
Julia Davis	March 6
Andrew Ranson	March 6
Chandni Venkatesh	March 7

Weekly Wellness Blog: Wednesday, February 19th 2020

"An empty tank will take you exactly nowhere. Take time to refuel". - Unknown

We all need time to refuel in order to reenergise ourselves and reignite our passions. While searching through wellness-related blogs and tweets, a common theme & truth is that self care is "a necessity, not a luxury". Also, self-care should be a daily practice. Sometimes self-care is allowing yourself another fancy drink, with an extra lime slice dangling from the side. Other times, it's forcing yourself to do an extra ten sweaty minutes of a challenging work out in the gym. Whatever variety of self-care you are in need of, remember to carve out some time for yourself today. 

Next Wednesday, February 26th, we have already carved two and half hours of health & wellness time into your busy schedules. Many of your colleagues will be leading a variety of activities - ranging from volley ball games to independent reading, from dancing to learning some tips and tricks on GoogleSheets, from cultural classes to cooking lessons - and beyond! Get excited for next week's early release!   

Coming Up On Campus!

Wellness Wednesday - February 26th, 2020 - Early Release Schedule

Adapted

2:15 - 3pm Session One

3:10 - 4:05pm Session Two

2:15 - 4:05pm Full Session

4:15 - 5:00pm US Consulate Presentation, in the FAC

*Refreshments and snacks will be available from 4pm onwards; in the upstairs lobby by the theater in FAC.

Wellness Wednesday Afternoon: February 26th, 2020

Next Wednesday is an early release day and we will be having our Wellness Afternoon. There will be refreshments and drinks under the stairs near the main courtyard from 2:00-2:30pm. Session One will be from 2:30-3:30pm followed by Session Two from 3:45-4:45pm. There will also be some Full Sessions offered from 2:30-4:45pm. Leaders will be able to sign up first! The sign up document will be available for leaders to edit by Friday, February 21st and for all to sign up on Monday, February 24th at 4pm.

AISC Women's Clothing Swap - Keep it in Mind!

The Wellness Committee will be organizing a Clothing Exchange for all of the ladies on campus. We are planning to have this event in March. For our first on-campus clothing exchange, we will be starting with only women's clothing. If you are interested in being a part of the planning process and/or think that you would be able to help with collecting or sorting clothes, please contact Keeley at tkeeley@aischennai.org. Otherwise, start cleaning out your closet and making those donation piles! More information about the Clothing Swap will be coming shortly.

Operation Appreciation: Treat Day & AISC Staff Appreciation Day

What would we do without the amazing AISC Staff?! Very little, I would guess. This time of year is special for Operation Appreciation. It happens just before Friday, 13 March's Staff Appreciation Day. March is all about Our Staff! Because of this, and so much more, this survey has 3 asks and should be completed no later than Wednesday, 26 February. We need volunteers who can:

• Provide treats the morning of 2 March

• Help with treat distribution the morning of 2 March

• Serve lunch to all AISC Staff on 13 March

AISC Libraries Book Swap

The AISC Libraries want to celebrate Earth Week with the community by organizing a way to reuse your previously loved books! If you have any gently used books at home (in any language and/or genre) that you'd like to donate, please bring them to the ES/MS or HS Library. We will accept books for babies, toddlers, children, teens, and adults, as long as they are in good condition. For every two books that are donated, you will receive a ticket for one free book at the Book Swap! 

Please contact Barbara Bowman at bbarbara@aischennai.org if you have any questions. 

Reminders & Upcoming Event Suggestions

There are all sorts of different events in Chennai! 

What would you like to see highlighted on this blog? Please comment below on this blog and/or email Keeley at tkeeley@aischennai.org with some suggestions and they will be highlighted on the blog!

10 Run: Link For Information and Tickets

February Birthdays / Celebrations

Jason Kennedy	February 1
Elizabeth Biggs Rappe	February 3
Manoharan Krishnan	February 3
Giovanni Bello	February 5
Ryan McFarland	February 6
Fiona Babu	February 6
Nandini Navalan	February 7
Michael Simmons	February 8
Edward James Doherty	February 11
Saravanan P S	February 15
Marea Bouma	February 16
Amy Sedestrom	February 18
Ross Connelly	February 20
Sherilyn Billett	February 21
Keryn Dowling	February 23
Thyagarajan C	February 23
Vanessa Kim	February 24
Chandrasekar D	Februray 25
Clinton Franswah	February 28

Weekly Wellness Blog: Wednesday, February 12th, 2020

Hello to my dear friends and colleagues! I am very happy to be back on campus after my maternity leave. I wanted to express my gratitude to Priya, who wrote lovely blog posts every week and kept our community up-to-date with exciting events and reminders. Thank you very much, Priya!

Have you expressed gratitude to someone recently? Who in your lives might you be able to thank and share how much you appreciate them? This article, posted by PsychCentral, lists Five Ways to Practice Gratitude. 

Would you like to show gratitude to the many staff members here at AISC who help us daily? It's a perfect time to sign up for our next Operation Appreciation Treat Day! You can also sign up to help serve lunch during our AISC Staff Appreciation Day. Please read the blog below or Sarah Sahr's email for more details. You can also just click this link to fill out this survey if you are interested!

Another way to give back is to sign up to lead an activity during our upcoming Wellness Wednesday afternoon on Wednesday, February 26th! Details below:

Wellness Wednesday Afternoon: 

February 26th, 2020

Wellness Wednesday - Early Release Schedule

2:00 Refreshments under the stairs 

2:30 - 3:30   Session One

3:45 - 4:45   Session Two

2:30 - 4:45   Full Session

Are you interested in leading a session? Remember that we love having a variety of sessions - it could be social, active, cultural, quiet, or loud! Please let Keeley know as soon as possible if you would like to lead an hour long session, two one-hour sessions, a full (two-hour) session. Please also indicate where you would like to conduct your session and if you have a "max out" number of participants allowed.

NEW! If you are able to lead a session, the sign-up sheets for the other available sessions will be sent to you early, so that you will be able to sign up for other popular events and activities ahead of the crowd.

Please consider leading an activity to make this Wellness Wednesday a success! (email Keeley at tkeeley@aischennai.org)

Operation Appreciation: 

Treat Day on March 2nd & AISC Staff Appreciation Day on March 13th

What would we do without the amazing AISC Staff?! Very little, I would guess. This time of year is special for Operation Appreciation. It happens just before Friday, 13 March's Staff Appreciation Day. March is all about Our Staff! Because of this, and so much more, this survey has 3 asks and should be completed no later than Wednesday, 26 February. We need volunteers who can:

• Provide treats the morning of 2 March
• Help with treat distribution the morning of 2 March
• Serve lunch to all AISC Staff on 13 March

Reminders & Upcoming Event Suggestions

Did you know that there is a bakery with a new location, right on the ECR in Neelankarai? Their sourdough bread rivals Pumpkin Tales and their carrot cake is absolutely delicious! Check out Brod the Bakery on your way home from school!

Click Here

Wellness Academy - Teacher Application

Here is an opportunity for you all to share it with your colleagues. We are looking for applications for the Wellness Academy.  If you would like to offer an activity that goes beyond a 60-120 minute afternoon session, you will be encouraged to apply for a stipended position to run a class for your peers, for a minimum of 10 hours. Are you passionate about sewing? Do you like to bake? Can you lead yoga or zumba classes? Would you be able to teach Bollywood dancing? What other unique classes might you be able to teach?  Email tkeeley@aischennai.org  if you have any ideas

Click here to find out more about what your colleagues have to offer from the wellness academy.

Service & Tips

This link is a guide to a variety of services and tips. You will notice that this link is editable to everyone. Please feel free to add your own ideas and helpful suggestions!

AISC Trip Advisor

Did you know that we have an AISC Trip Advisor Google+ page? Click, join, and share information about your favorite trips!

Community Whatsapp Group

Please remember that we have WhatsApp Groups open to our community on a variety of topics - click to see a list of QR codes to join the open groups. We will be updating these groups throughout the year. If you have a special interest and would like to invite your colleagues - please let me know so that we can add your invite link to our list.

February Birthdays / Celebrations

Jason Kennedy	February 1
Elizabeth Biggs Rappe	February 3
Manoharan Krishnan	February 3
Giovanni Bello	February 5
Ryan McFarland	February 6
Fiona Babu	February 6
Nandini Navalan	February 7
Michael Simmons	February 8
Edward James Doherty	February 11
Saravanan P S	February 15
Marea Bouma	February 16
Amy Sedestrom	February 18
Ross Connelly	February 20
Sherilyn Billett	February 21
Keryn Dowling	February 23
Thyagarajan C	February 23
Vanessa Kim	February 24
Chandrasekar D	Februray 25
Clinton Franswah	February 28

Weekly Wellness Blog 5th February 2020

Hello everyone! This is my final post as Keeley returns from her maternity break. I've had a blast sharing my love for the city with all of you and thank you for all the love you have shown me in the past few months. Speaking of love, February is here. I'm a foodie and love eating out at restaurants. I started researching hotspots in Chennai and here is a list of restaurants that you may wanna take your loved one to. If you are planning on going for a Valentine's day dinner date click on this link: Ten Romantic Eateries in Chennai. Also as I sign off, here is an article you might find interesting titled, "8 Ways to Be Kinder to Yourself in 2020." Click here to read it. Be kind always.

Reminders & Upcoming Event Suggestions

Click Here

Friday 07 Feb - Friday 09 Feb

YMCA College 

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

                               Feb 6th, Salsa in Sholinganallur Park 

Click Here

Click here

Click Here

Click Here

Come experience an amazing culinary delight this Thursday.

This is the first time that Master Chef USA contestants are coming here and giving us a taste of their amazing talent.

DON'T MISS IT!!!!!

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Shopping

• clock

  Feb 8 at 11 AM – Feb 9 at 7:30 PM

• pin	WeaveinIndia No.29 Chitaranjan Road, Alwarpet, Chennai, India 600018

Storytrails India Private Limited 

Click Here

Come, experience India with us!

India exists in her stories

Every sight has a story to tell, and every story lives in a myriad site.

Join us on a quest for these stories, on walking tours and day trips that zigzag through the very beat and pulse of the city and its many attractions.

We’ll show you the best places to visit and introduce you to the best things to do on your visit.

Look beyond sightseeing tours. Come, experience India with us!

Wellness Academy - Teacher Application

Here is an opportunity for you all to share it with your colleagues. We are looking for applications for the Wellness Academy.  If you would like to offer an activity that goes beyond a 60-120 minute afternoon session, you will be encouraged to apply for a stipended position to run a class for your peers, for a minimum of 10 hours. Are you passionate about sewing? Do you like to bake? Can you lead yoga or zumba classes? Would you be able to teach Bollywood dancing? What other unique classes might you be able to teach?  Email vpriya@aischennai.org and tkeeley@aischennai.org  if you have any ideas

Click here to find out more about what your colleagues have to offer from the wellness academy.

Links to online shopping

This link will is a guide to online shopping sites in India. It will keep getting updated as and when someone recommends a site they bought something. Click here

List of Restaurants

Are you a foodie? Looking for restaurants to have a good meal? Here is a list of restaurants that you may want to visit. Feel free to add to it.

Community Whatsapp Group

Please remember that we have WhatsApp Groups open to our community on a variety of topics - click to see a list of QR codes to join the open groups. We will be updating these groups throughout the year. If you have a special interest and would like to invite your colleagues - please let me know so that we can add your invite link to our list.

Feb Birthdays / Celebrations

Welcome Back Keeley

Jason Kennedy	February 1
Elizabeth Biggs Rappe	February 3
Manoharan Krishnan	February 3
Giovanni Bello	February 5
Ryan McFarland	February 6
Fiona Babu	February 6
Nandini Navalan	February 7
Michael Simmons	February 8
Edward James Doherty	February 11
Saravanan P S	February 15
Marea Bouma	February 16
Amy Sedestrom	February 18
Ross Connelly	February 20
Sherilyn Billett	February 21
Keryn Dowling	February 23
Thyagarajan C	February 23
Vanessa Kim	February 24
Chandrasekar D	Februray 25
Clinton Franswah	February 28