10: Friday 21st October 2011

From the Headmaster

Closure due to the emergency

We hope that our community was not directly affected by the national emergency due to the heavy rains. Our CAS team, headed by Mr Argueta, has been monitoring the needs in our immediate area and responded appropriately. Thanks to students in 11th and 12th grades (Tuesday) and 9th and 10th grades (Wednesday), as well as the Parents Association and other members of our community, substantial aid was delivered on those two days to the Centro de Acopio in Santa Tecla. We were able to address the specific needs of those who had been moved from their homes as well as others who had lost their possessions. Today, volunteers from 11th and 12th grades were making 600 sandwiches for delivery to the needy for lunchtime. Please take note of the various help initiatives which are being carried out in the school and continue this excellent community response. Thank you for helping us fulfil our vision of creating responsible citizenship.

Students in 6th to 12th grade were able to carry on with work set by their teachers and Upper Primary students used their emergency packs, during the seven days of closure. Teachers will be evaluating the progress that students have made and we shall determine the extent of our make-up time.

We take this opportunity to remind you that we are asking all our ABC community to help the rain victims by bringing donations which we will then distribute, here is a list of items that are most needed: Diapers, Sanitary pads, Long lasting food, Canned food, Bottled Water, Beans, Rice, Powder milk, Soups, Flour (Maseca), Clothes - clean, in good conditions and already classified, Rain cloth, Mattresses.

Back to school

We shall be back to school as normal on Monday. Please note the following:

1. An additional period will be added to each day from Monday 24th October until Friday 28th October, inclusive, for the following grades:

• Secondary School (6th to 12th grades): 2:00pm to 2:45pm (going home at 2:45pm) 
• Primary School (4th and 5th grades ONLY): 1:30pm to 2:15pm (going home at 2:15pm); other grades will go home at the normal times.

2. There will be no Extra Curricular or Team Sports during this week. Team Sports events may take place at 3pm if the schedule, pitch and weather permit. There will be no Religion Classes on Wednesday 26th October.

3. The Half-Term break will be as normal - we shall not be using this as make-up time since many have made arrangements for this time.

4. We have assigned two Saturdays (November 12th and December 3rd) as possible make-up days, for 1st to 12th grade (note: we will not be making up time in this way for Pre-Kinder, Kinder and Prepa, due to the effect of six day weeks on students of this young age).

5. Other make-up time will be obtained by re-arrangements of events. The analysis that we shall make on the work done by students during closure time will determine the extent of the make-up time, grade by grade.

6. In order to be prepared for cold weather, we shall have Arctic Days until further notice - students can come in non-uniform and warmer clothes.

Primary News

United Nations and UP helping many Salvadorians

We hope you and your families are safe and sound and anxious to get back into school. We sure miss all of you.

On Monday 24th October, we had planned to host our annual United Nations Food Fair as part of the IPC units currently in place. Each lunch plate was going to consist of four dishes sampling each of the countries now under study by each grade level.

However, due to our National Emergency, we have considered the option of using the cost of this lunch ($2) to buy necessary toiletries and donate them to one of the local collection points. This will give our Upper Primary students the opportunity to empathise with other Salvadorians who have not been as fortunate throughout this horrible weather.

The items that will be purchased are toilet paper, sanitary pads, body soap, pampers, toothpaste and tooth brushes.

I hope you all support this initiative by sending on Monday 24th your $2 contribution or one of the items listed above.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to help.

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary

Thursday 27th October: First Grade Curriculum Night

Friday 28th October: Prepa Contreras Assembly

Upper Primary

Monday 24th October: United Nations Day (Food Fair has been substituted by UP donating proceeds to victims)

Wednesday 26th October: 3rd Avilés Assembly

Wednesday 26th October: 5th Quintanilla Assembly

Secondary News

Next week

Please note that we are extending the school day next week until 2.45 pm so that we can start making up class time that we missed last week. This means that all Secondary students will be finishing at 2.45 pm every day next week. We will continue to make up time after the half term holidays and you will be informed of our plans shortly.

Visiting Speaker and Parent Partnership Meetings are being postponed

The Breast Cancer Awareness talk and Parent Partnership meetings scheduled for this week are postponed until after half term. We will inform you of the new dates.

Thank you for allowing your son or daughter from Grades 9 to 12 to come in to school to help with donations last week - they were really appreciated and came at a time of great need. Thank you also for the donations towards the sandwich lunch which students made on Friday.

Your Child’s Statistical Confidential Information

Please remember to send your Child’s Statistical Confidential Information to the Secondary office. It is essential this information is all up to date.

Dates for your diary

Friday 28th October: End of First Half term - school closed for the following week.

Monday 7th November: British Fortnight starts

Friday 18th November: Guy Fawkes Night

Friday 2nd December: Cal 1 Reports issued for Grades 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11

Wednesday 14th December: Cal 1 Reports issued for Grade 10 and 12

Thursday 15th December: Award events for Grades 6-8 and 9-12

Friday 16th December: School breaks for Christmas holidays

Monday 9th January 2012: School reopens and back to classes