Friday 9 December 2011

16: Friday 9th December 2011

From the Headmaster

Donation from the Guy Fawkes Event
It is pleasing to report that we have been able to donate a cheque for $542.38 to Hospital de Niños Benjamín Bloom. These are the proceeds of the sale of sparklers and a donation of $300 from the Students Council Spooky Cellar from the Guy Fawkes Event.

Last week of term
The last week of term has many events in it - please consult the ABC’s calendar for what is on. I would also remind everyone of three of our core values: Respectful, Considerate and Responsible - particularly at crowded times and in slow vehicle lines. Please park in the areas assigned by those controlling traffic.

I take this opportunity of wishing each and all our community a very happy festive season and look forward to having everyone back safe and sound in January.

Stop Press! Winners of the Secondary School Founders’ Cup - the MAYAS! Congratulations!


Primary News

Monday UP assembly
Monday’s assembly was a tribal assembly in Upper Primary. The tribal chiefs each spent a few minutes telling their tribes a little about themselves and about how they see their role in the school.


3rd Guzman assembly
The children of 3rd Guzman presented an assembly this week on the Hindu festival of Diwali. They told us the story of Diwali and explained how people in India and other Hindu’s around the world prepare for this festival of light. 1st Grade children were given a special invitation to the assembly as they are learning about different celebrations in their IPC unit.

Christmas tour
The Upper Primary choir and recorder group, violinists and singers from the Secondary school have completed a tour of shopping malls in the last ten days to bring our ABC Christmas music to parents and shoppers. Many thanks to the pupils for giving up their evenings to perform and to the parents involved for being such a good taxi service and audience. Special thanks to Mr. Santamaria for all his hard work to prepare the children for this event.




This term’s Tribal winners
On Monday the children in UP will find out which tribe has won the competition this term for the most tribal points. The winning tribe will be permitted to have a non-uniform day on Thursday 15th December.

Swimming Champions

The Academia Británica Cuscatleca won second place in the country.

Christmas shows and Santa’s Festival
We look forward to welcoming you to our annual Christmas show and fair on Wednesday 14th December. The LP children have prepared some wonderful Christmas presentations for you and UP have been busy preparing games, food and entertainment. We are also expecting Santa to drop in for a visit. We hope to see you there too.

UP Founders cup sports morning
The ABC Founder's Cup sports competition 2011 for Upper Primary will take place on Friday 16th December from 7.30am to 11.30am. Students must wear their PE uniform and their school cap. We will be competing in tribes.

School closes for Christmas
School closes for the Christmas holiday on Friday 16th December.
Children in Lower Primary should be picked up at 11.00am.
Children in Upper Primary should be picked up at 11.30am.

Do visit our Upper Primary Blog. You will find a collection of slideshows of all the Upper Primary events. The last few entries include photos of the Upper Primary Musicians and Singers at the Guy Fawkes event and at the Christmas Tour. You will also see photos taken at both Achievement Ceremonies. Become a member and receive a notification when a new entry has been added.

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
Friday 9th December: Reports sent home
Wednesday 14th December: Christmas Shows
Friday 16th December: School breaks for Christmas holidays
Monday 9th January 2012: School reopens and back to classes

Upper Primary
Friday 9th December: Founder’s Cup
Monday 12th - Friday 16th December: Festival Week
Wednesday 14th December: Santa’s Festival, 3:30 - 6:30pm
Friday 16th December: Last day of Term - students will go home at 11:30am
Monday 9th January 2012: School reopens and back to classes

Secondary News

Next week
Although next week is the final week of term normal activities continue including Team Sports and extracurricular. We finish at 12 noon on Friday and respectfully ask if students can be collected at that time and we wish you all a very happy holiday. Please note we reopen on Monday 9th January at the usual time.

Cricket Tour
A group of Grade 11 and 12 students with Mr. Frost are touring Mexico this weekend on the latest international competition for the El Salvador cricket team. We wish them all the best of fortune. They return on Tuesday.

Head Students Selection
We are currently going through the selection process for our new Head Students and we hope to announce the new Head Students next Friday. We do want to publicly thank Sara Urbina and Danny Jazrawi for their excellent work over the last twelve months. They certainly proved to be excellent choices.

Grade 10 and 12 Report Cards meeting on Monday at 5.30 pm in PAC
Please note this very important meeting for Grade 10 and Grade 12 parents and students. You will have the opportunity to talk to all your son or daughter’s teachers for advice on preparation for the coming Mock Exams in January 2012. Please come with your son or daughter if you can!

There have already been some really exciting pieces of work on this blog. Please check them and see what some of our students are doing.

Award Assemblies - next week
The timetable for the Award Assemblies on Thursday are as follows. We will be awarding HM Roll of Honour as well as ROC Merit Awards and talking about some of the successes already this year. All assemblies are in the PAC and parents are invited!

7.00 Grade 6
7.45 Grade 11 and 12
8.30 Grade 7 and 8
9.15 Grade 9 and 10

Dates for your diary
Monday 12th December: Cal 1 Reports issued for Grade 10 and Grade 12 at Parent Teacher Meeting in PAC at 5.30 pm- 7.30 pm
Thursday 15th December: Award events for Grades 6, 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12
Friday 16th December: School breaks up for Christmas holidays. School closes at 12 noon.
Monday 9th January 2012: School reopens and starts at 7am

Friday 2 December 2011

15: Friday 2nd December 2011

From the Headmaster

Coffee with the Headmaster and Board Chair
Parents are cordially invited to a “coffee with the Headmaster and Board Chair” which will take place on Thursday 8th of December at 7:10 am to 8:00 am. So as to have an appropriate setting and not waste resources, please let us know your intention of attending by clicking this link.

The Founders Cup - parent and alumni teams required!
The Founders Cup is competed for in three phases this year. The Community Phase will be held on Saturday 10th of December from 8:00 am to 12 noon at the ABC. It is open to our U-18 student teams as well as to staff, coaches, parents and alumni teams. If a parent or alumnus would like to participate by forming a team OR wishing to play in a team, please contact our Team Sports Coordinator Sara Suster before the end of Wednesday 7th of December (sarasuster@abc-net.edu.sv).

The Secondary Founders Cup phase will be on Friday 9th of December and the Primary one will be on Friday 16th of December.

Flu inoculation
We shall be arranging a new round of flu inoculations for those who wish to have this - please look out for the written permission slips which will be going home very soon.

Reminder: Drop-off and pick-up for 2nd, 3rd, 4th grade tomorrow, Saturday, via the Administration Entrance only (and Ramp Entrance for Staff and Car Full).

Primary News

2nd Grade trip to San Diego Beach
Last Friday the second grade children went to San Diego beach to release turtles and clean the beach. It was a lot of fun! The children learned about the importance of taking good care of the environment and animals in danger of extinction like the turtles. Right now, second graders are beginning to develop an environmental awareness and hopefully they will make a difference when they grow up.


Monday assembly
This week’s Monday assembly was an Art assembly where a movie was shown about Art from its beginnings to post modernism. The Art teacher spoke about the importance of recycling and how we can make beautiful artwork with these materials. The students were very attentive and curious throughout the whole assembly. In the end, they were reminded that all children are artists and needed to continue working and enjoying the Arts.

Cal 1 Achievement Ceremonies
Congratulations to all of the children who received awards in this week’s Achievement Ceremonies. Awards were given to children who achieved well academically this Cal but also to children who are always punctual, who always do their homework and also to children who have made a notable effort in a variety of subjects. The ceremonies were very well attended by parents.



3rd Grade Money and Trade Unit
The children in 3rd Grade have been learning about enterprise this week. As part of their IPC unit Young Entrepreneurs each class has set up a small food producing business. The children have written a business plan, have created commercials, been shopping and today they will prepare and sell food to other pupils in the school at break time. Each child has invested $2 in their business; if they do well and the business makes a profit today this will be shared amongst the investors. If they make a loss… this will also be shared. In their geography, history, science and technology lessons for the next few weeks the children will be learning about money and trade around the world in the past and present, what makes a successful product and how businesses are run.

Primary Christmas Tour
The annual UP choir Christmas tour begins this evening at the Galerias shopping mall at 6pm. Next week the choir will be singing at Plaza Madero on Tuesday evening and La Gran Via on Wednesday evening. We are delighted that this year some of the children from our LP choir will be joining the UP children to sing at La Gran Via on Wednesday evening at 6pm. We look forward to seeing you there.

Saturday school for 2nd, 3rd and 4th Grade children
Children in 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades will be in school tomorrow (3rd Dec) to make up the work they missed earlier in the school year when the school was closed as a result of the heavy rains. The children will be following their normal Thursday timetables as these are the curriculum areas that we need to make sure are fully covered before the end of term.

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
Friday 9th December: Reports sent home
Wednesday 14th December: Christmas Shows
Friday 16th December: School breaks for Christmas holidays
Monday 9th January 2012: School reopens and back to classes

Upper Primary
Thursday 1st - Friday 9th December: UP Choir Christmas Tour.
Wednesday 7th December: 3rd Guzmán Assembly. 10:00 - 10:40am in the PAC
Thursday 8th December: Carols by Candleight. 6:30 - 7:30pm in the PAC
Friday 9th December: Founder’s Cup
Monday 12th - Friday 16th December: Festival Week
Wednesday 14th December: Christmas Fair. 3:30 - 6:30pm.
Friday 16th December: Last day of Term. Students will go home at 11:30am

Secondary News

British quiz
It is not too late to win a London 2012 Olympics mascot. We are accepting entries to the British Quiz until Monday morning at 9 am.

Cal 1 reports
In all Grades except Grade 10 and 12 these reports were sent home on Thursday. Please ensure you have collected them from your son or daughter and have returned the signed copy to school.

Grade 10 and 12 Parent Teacher meeting
We are handing out Grade 10 and 12 reports at a Parent Teacher Meeting on Monday 12th December starting at 5.30 pm in the PAC. We expect all Grade 10 and Grade 12 parents to be there to discuss Cal 1 reports, possible IB Options and the work that needs doing in preparation for the Mock exams in January 2012.

Nominations for Head students
We are looking for students in Grade 11 (Class of 2013) to nominate themselves to be the new ABC Head Students. There will be a selection process over the next two weeks but at this stage we are looking for students who think they might be suited to the position.

Thank you Sara and Danny
As we start the search for new Head Students we must say a huge thank you to Sara Urbina and Danny Jazrawi who have been magnificent Head Students and role models to their peers and younger students over the last twelve months.

Dates for your diary
Monday 12th December: Cal 1 Reports issued for Grade 10 and Grade 12 at Parent Teacher Meeting in PAC at 5.30 pm- 7.30 pm
Thursday 15th December: Award events for Grades 6-8 and 9-12
Friday 16th December: School breaks up for Christmas holidays. School closes at 12 noon.
Monday 9th January 2012: School reopens and starts at 7am