Primary News
Donations and collections for people in shelters
Our sincere thanks to all who have contributed to our collections of goods for people who are still living in shelters and who have lost so much. All classes in Primary, this week, have spent time talking about the emergency and the effects that it has had on them personally and on the less fortunate people of El Salvador. It has been gratifying to see and hear that so many of our children, even the young ones, were empathetic to the needs of others and were keen to help in their own small ways.
3rd Avilés assembly
Well done and thank you to the teachers and pupils of 3rd Avilés for their spectacular assembly this week all about skeletons. Due to school closure last week the children did not have as much time to rehearse as usual, but they have worked really hard and their assembly was informative and fun. Thanks also to the parents who helped to prepare the costumes.
Please remember that we do start our assemblies promptly and that you risk missing your children’s performance if you are late.
5th Quintanilla assembly
The theme of Healthy Habits was covered by 5th Quintanilla in their assembly. The children reminded us that we should eat healthily, exercise regularly and keep our brains active if we are to live a long and healthy life. Again, these children had little time to rehearse due to the school closure last week but did really well to pull their assembly together in just a few days.
Please remember that we do start our assemblies promptly and that you risk missing your children’s performance if you are late.
UP Choir presentation at Plaza Madero
Thank you to Mr Santamaria and the group of children who performed a small concert for parents and friends at the Plaza Madero on Wednesday evening. The choir, recorder group and strings players gave us a taste of what to expect from our UP production “Dreaming of Disney” which takes place in school on the 23rd and 24th November.
LP UN Day
Thursday, Lower Primary UN Day, was a very colourful and busy day for our youngest children. The costumes worn by the children were amazing and PK and K classes enjoyed exhibiting these to the parents in their own parades. All of the LP children paraded through the Primary corridors so that children and staff in UP were also able to admire their costumes and T shirt designs. The children also took part in a wide variety of activities which the teachers and assistants had prepared help them to think about countries in Asia and how things there might be different (or sometimes the same) as their own lives here in El Salvador. UN day really helps our children begin to become internationally minded, a core theme in our International Primary Curriculum.
1st Grade Curriculum Night
Grade 1 parents attended a Circus night at school on Thursday as the Grade 1 teaching team, all dressed as circus performers, helped them to understand how an IPC unit is used to help the children to become engaged in and excited about their own learning. In a colourful, active and memorable session the staff lead the parents through the Entry Point, Knowledge Harvest and then a carousel of academic activities of a typical exciting and rigorous IPC unit. I gather that the theme, which will be being taught in Grade 1 after Christmas, will have an exciting and different exit point too!
Prepa Contreras assembly
Thank you to the staff and children of Prepa Contreras for their assembly this week which reminded us about the importance of eating healthily. The children and teaching staff have worked very hard to get this assembly, delayed by the school closure last week, ready and the children delivered their message confidently and clearly.
Incomplete homework from Emergency packs
Well done to the children (and parents) who managed to get the work done from their Emergency packs over the recent school closure. Despite not being in school it is important that the children’s routines and work habits are kept as normal as possible and that they do not fall behind. A great deal of thought and preparation has gone into the preparation of the emergency packs and we are really pleased that most children completed the work set well. If for any reason your child did not do the work expected of them during the days that the school was closed please make sure that they catch up with this over the half term holiday and hand the completed work to their class teachers on the 7th November so that our records and reports can reflect the effort put in.
Half term
School will be closed from 29th October until 6th November for our half term break.
Remembrance & poppies
Our British Fortnight will be beginning after the half term break. Many of the children in Primary are already engaged in learning about Britain as part of their IPC units but during the first week back we will be talking to the children about a special ceremony in Britain which takes place on the 11th November. This is Remembrance Day and it is a time when people in the UK and other Commonwealth countries remember and reflect on the sacrifices made both in the past and the present by the country’s armed forces. At 11.00 am on the morning of the 11th day of the 11th month many communities maintain a few minutes silence to pay respect to those people. The older children in Primary will learn about Remembrance Day and will keep a minute’s silence at the appropriate time.
During this week we will also be selling Poppies in school. The poppies are a symbol which help us to focus on the event. Poppies will be sold by the Student Council at the beginning of each school day next week for $1.
Guy Fawkes
In the second week of British Fortnight we will be concentrating on the story of Guy Fawkes, another special occasion in the British calendar. This week will conclude on the 18th November with our annual ABC bonfire night. We look forward to seeing you there.
Regulation school caps for PE
All children in Primary should now be wearing the regulation uniform cap for their PE lessons. These are available from the school shop.
Parking
Another reminder about parking!
We understand that when the school has events early in the morning that parking for parents can be a problem. However, we must ask everyone please to use the emergency car park for these events. This week some of our teachers were unable to find places to park their cars in the Main car park as spaces had been taken up by parents.
The maintenance men who direct the traffic in the car parks have a difficult job to do and, as employees of the school, should be treated with the same courtesy and respect as other members of staff; values which we work very hard to help your children to learn.
Dates for your diary
Lower Primary
Monday 7th November: British Fortnight starts
Tuesday 8th November: Jolly Phonics Workshop for Kinder parents, 7.15-45am in classrooms
Thursday 10th November: Kinder Curriculum Night, 6.30pm in the PAC
Monday 14th November: Prepa Curriculum Night, 6.30pm in the PAC
Friday 18th November: Guy Fawkes Night
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
Monday 7th November: British Fortnight starts
Saturday 12th November: Grade 5 Catch up day - all children in school, 7 – 12pm
Friday 18th November: Guy Fawkes Event
Wednesday 16th November: 4th Hernández Assembly, 12:00 - 12:40pm in the PAC
Wednesday 23rd November: 2nd Padilla Assembly, 10:00 - 10:40am in the PAC
Wednesday 23rd & Thursday 24th November: Primary Production - Dreaming of Disney, 6:30 - 7:30pm in the PAC
Friday 25th - Saturday 26th November: 3rd Grade Camping, Friday 3:00pm - Saturday 10:00am
Wednesday 30th November: CAL 1 Achievement Ceremony 2nd and 3rd Grade, 10:00 - 10:40am in the PAC
Wednesday 30th November: CAL 1 Achievement Ceremony 4th and 5th Grade, 12:00 - 12:40pm in the PAC
Secondary News
Please note the school will be closed for the next week but the LRC is open at various times during the week.
British Fortnight (Monday 7th November - Friday 18th November)
We will be celebrating British Fortnight when we return to school after the half term break. In the first week we will be selling red poppies so all students can wear a poppy on Friday 11th November to celebrate the anniversary of the end of the First World War in 1918. In the second week we will be looking at issues related to the times of previous London Olympics (1908 and 1948) as well as looking forward to the coming Olympics in August 2012. We hope to see many of you at the Guy Fawkes party on Friday 18th November which will bring British Fortnight to a climax.
Coffee Project
Many thanks to all the parents and staff who contributed to the successful Grade 8 Coffee Project on Thursday. It was a huge success.
Making up time
We have had extra lessons this week to help make up for the time we lost while school was closed during the recent rains. We also plan to have a school day on Saturday 12th November following a Thursday timetable from period 1 to 6. We apologise for the inconvenience caused but we do need to make up some of the time in the classroom that was lost. The other part of the make up is the work done at home while we were closed. It is important this work is finished and we would ask that you check it is complete before your son or daughter returns to school after the coming half term break.
Thank you for the Donations
We were delighted with the response of our students during the emergency last week including making donations at times when they were critically needed including producing 600 sandwich based lunches last Friday. Thank you to everyone who helped for your kind generosity.
Christmas Gifts
Please note that during the Guy Fawkes celebrations we will have the traditional Christmas Fair where vendors can sell items to the Guy Fawkes visitors. The number of tables is limited, and available at $15 each. If you would like a table or more information, please get in touch with Sandra Acosta in the Main Reception, Roxana Hall in the Secondary Office or Mr Argueta.
Dates for your diary
Friday 28th October: End of First Half term - school closed for the following week.
Monday 7th November: School reopens - 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 up for Christmas holidays
Monday 9th January 2012: School reopens and back to classes
