Newsletter
August, 2026
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We're excited to welcome you and your child to the 7th grade at International. This year promises to be filled with growth, learning, and new experiences.
As your child transitions into this new phase of their education, we want to assure you that our 7th grade team is committed to providing them with a supportive and stimulating learning environment.
In this newsletter, you will find information about the wonderful teachers who will be guiding your child's learning journey this year. Please take a moment to learn a bit about our experiences in education and our lives outside of the classroom.
We encourage you to stay connected and involved in your child's education. Please don't hesitate to reach out to any of us or the school office if you have any questions or concerns.
We look forward to a wonderful year of learning and growth together!
Reading: Ms. Britany Carrier (she/her/hers)
Hello, I’m Brittany Carrier, and I will be your student’s Reading Teacher. In Reading class, we have been focusing on classroom expectations and building classroom community. Students will also begin receiving weekly homework from Reading class starting Monday, August 31st.
Students will also be completing STAR Reading testing on Monday, August 31st and Tuesday, September 1st.
Ask your child:
- Why is it important for us to tell and read stories?
- Why is it important to have resilience?
The syllabus for my class can be found here.
Writing: Mr. Anthony Yacavone ((he/him/his)
Hello,
I am the 7th Grade Writing teacher. I am looking forward to working with all of my students this year. Gradually over the year, the students will learn to develop their voices and communication skills through writing.
Students will explore the topic of resource inequities across the planet.
They will begin to develop their voices as they explore different ways creatively to tell stories.
They will eventually construct their own portfolio of critical writing pieces.
Learner Profile: Thinker
Due Dates / Summative:
Regular updates will be provided as students begin working on projects
Please ensure your email addresses are updated
The course syllabus can be found here.
Global Systems: Mr. Robert Gold (he/him/his)
I’m Robert Gold and I’ll be teaching Global Systems, which is a continuation of the regional studies class begun in Grade 6. This year’s course includes units on North America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe/Russia, and South Asia. I am married with 2 adult boys (ages 22 and 25) and enjoy outdoor sports, books and movies, and cooking. This is my 8th year of teaching with CREC, though I also taught for 19 years at international schools in India, China, and Malaysia. Travel has always been a big part of my life, and I love introducing students to the diversity of cultures and rich histories that are found around the world. I look forward to working with your children this year and meeting you at our upcoming Open House.
Coming up soon:
Sept 8-15: students will research and present a country using the 5 Themes of Geography.
Ask your child:
How does their assigned country (for the research project) compare to the United States?
A syllabus to our class can be found HERE
Spanish: Ms. Juana Claudio
Para empezar (review unit)
Hello families, my name is Juana Claudio (Maestra), and I am very excited to provide 7th grade students with the knowledge and understanding of the Spanish language and culture. In order to comfortably enter new learning for the 7th grade curriculum it is essential to review Spanish basics. Students have reviewed how to indicate dates and weather conditions in the target language. They are entering reviews of popular activity vocabulary (bailar, escribir, escuchar, etc..). This vocabulary will be essential in maintaining the target language with instruction in addition to their grammatical progress; since verbs hold high importance in the Spanish language.
Ask your child: Students have been given unit packets. Unit packets are guided notes that accompany the main unit presentation and are worked on throughout the progression of the unit. The key vocab and grammar explored in the unit can be found within the packet. Students would benefit from making study cards from the provided vocab or review of classroom activities.
Math: Mr. Jeramys Williams
My name is Jeramys Williams, and I have the opportunity to teach your student math this year, in 7th grade! First, a bit about me! I enjoy spending time with my two kids (ages 6 and 8 ½) and my lovely wife. In my free time, I like cooking, reading, making coffee and spending time outside! This is my 7th year teaching middle school math, my fourth here at AIS. I am excited to get to know our children this year, and to help them grow to feel confident in math.
Science: Ms. Maria Capellán (she/her/hers/ella)
Hello, parents!
I'm Maria Capellán, and I'm thrilled to be your child's Science teacher this year. This will be my 24th year as a science teacher and my 22nd at AIS.
I have a passion for helping students discover their love of learning and science. I believe in creating a positive and supportive classroom environment where everyone feels safe to explore, ask questions, and enjoy learning.
Outside of the classroom, I enjoy hiking, traveling, reading, gardening, sewing, and spending time with family and friends. I am a proud mom of two adult daughters and a proud grandmother of a two-year-old boy.
I'm looking forward to getting to know you and your child better throughout the year!
A syllabus to our class can be found Here
Special Education: Mrs. Brannstrom
Dear Families,
Welcome back! I am so excited to begin another school year and look forward to getting to know your child. My name is Susanne Brannstrom, and I am honored to be your child’s Special Education Teacher this school year.
A little about me: Before joining AIS, I worked as a Special Education and Social Studies teacher in Hartford, CT; Shanghai, China; Greenville, SC; and Gothenburg, Sweden. I am originally from Sweden and have had the wonderful opportunity to live in several places around the world. I am also a wife and a proud mom to my daughter, Martha, who is a former IB student.
As we begin this new school year, I look forward to building a strong partnership with you. Communication between home and school is so important, and I want you to feel comfortable reaching out whenever you have questions, concerns, or simply want to share something about your child.
Subject: Academic Support
The students are;
Reviewing skills and strategies from their academic classes
Reviewing life skills focusing on the writing process
Learning how to have academic based discussions with prompts and visuals
Learning comprehension skills
Ask your child:
If they are advocating for themselves, letting teachers know what they need or don’t need.
Special Education: Mrs. Turner
Dear Families,
I am so excited to be your child’s teacher with the 7th grade team this year! I can’t wait to see what your child can bring their own unique strengths to the classroom.
About me:
I live with my 3 & 4 year old daughters, my husband and my 3 year old dog Cora. I love chocolate, coffee and ice cream. I love disney -the classics-, all kinds of music, and art.
As we begin the school year, I look forward to establishing a positive and collaborative relationship with you. Open communication between home and school is an important part of supporting student success, and I welcome you to reach out at any time with questions, concerns, or information that may help me better support your child.
Subject: Academic Support
I am here as a helpful guide to
*provide individualized academic support based on each student’s unique learning needs and goals.
*Break down challenging assignments and concepts into smaller, more manageable steps.
*Reinforce classroom instruction by reviewing and reteaching skills as needed.
*Provide accommodations and modifications to help students access grade-level curriculum.
Something to ask your child:
Let students know, we are a team (the student, teacher and parent) tell them to use their voice and ask us questions.
Our Administrators
Desmond Caldwell- Principal
Jennifer Rizzo- Assistant Principal MS
Our Guidance Counselors
Ms. Tania Thibault- Last names M-Z
Ms. Taylor Clarke- Last names A-L
