Friday 31 January 2014

20: Friday 31st January 2014

Primary News


2nd Grade Camping Night
Next week 2nd Graders will be having their camping night. Lots of different activities are being organized for this special event! We have related this exciting experience with our IPC topic, Chocolate.

Amongst other activities 2nd Grade children will have the opportunity to prepare Brazilian Chocolate sweets- Brigadeiros. Mrs Reis, a mother from our 2nd grade class, will come and work with children and teachers on this learning experience.

School for Parents 7.10am Thursday 6th February
*What is Character? Can we change it? 
*The qualities of character develop through family, school and community influences, and the child's individual temperament, experiences, and choices. 
*What can parents do to encourage their child's development of the qualities of good character? 
*Parents who exhibit the qualities of good character powerfully transmit their values by modeling the choices and actions that are essential to being a person of good character. 
*How do our children know this? They see it in our everyday actions and choices. 
*How to make an action plan?

PK Evaluation mornings
Evaluations for children entering our Pre Kinder classes in August of this year will be on Saturday 1st and Saturday 8th February. Please contact Estefania Chacon if you have any questions.

1st Grade trip
As part of the 1st Grade IPC unit "It's Shocking!" the children will go on a field trip to visit the Central Geotermica. 
Wednesday 5th February First Vásquez and First Quintanilla
Thursday 6th February First Aguirre and First Fastiggi

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary 
Tuesday 4th February: Kinder Frances & Kinder Rampone, trip to Ice Age (Animatronics) Multiplaza, 8:30am - 12:00pm
Wednesday 5th February: Kinder Suarez & Kinder Lima, trip to Ice Age (Animatronics) Multiplaza, 8:30am - 12:00pm
Wednesday 5th February: 1st Vasquez & 1st Quintanilla, trip to Central Geotermica, Ahuachapan, 7:30am - 2:00pm
Thursday 6th February: 1st Fastiggi & 1st Aguirre, trip to Central Geotermica, Ahuachapan, 7:30am - 2:00pm
Thursday 6th February: Pre Kinder, trip to Ice Age (Animatronics) Multiplaza, 8:00am - 12:00pm
Friday 7th February: Kinder Rampone Assembly - 7:20am, PAC
Monday 10th - Friday 14th February: Internet safety week
Thursday 13th February: Reading & Maths Workshops for 1st grade - 7:00 - 8:00am, PAC
Friday 14th February: Kinder Frances Assembly - 7:20am, PAC
Thursday 20th February: Inset training day for Teachers, no school for students
Friday 21st and Monday 24th February: Half term, no school for students
Friday 28th February: Music Assembly - 7:20am, PAC

Upper Primary
Monday 3rd to Friday 14th: UP Valentine Grams week
Wednesday 5th February: 3rd Navas Assembly - 9:10am PAC
Wednesday 5th February: 5th Truscott Assembly - 11:55am PAC
Thursday 6th February: School for UP parents, in the PAC at 7.00am
Friday 7th - Saturday 8th February: 2nd grade Camping Night in the ABC Campus
Wednesday 19th February: 3rd Spanish Assembly, at 9.10 in the PAC
Wednesday 19th February: 4th Spanish Assembly, at 11.55 in the PAC
Thursday 20th February: INSET Day, no School
Friday 21st - Monday 24th February: HALF TERM, No School

Secondary News

We are busy with Parent Teacher meetings at the moment. We do hope all parents will be able to attend and will take the time to discuss any issues, concerns, progress and plans with teachers. Each evening also starts with a talk about issues relating to the Grade and we really would like you to join us for these. On Tuesday we have Grade 6 and Grade 7 and on Thursday Grade 8 when we will also be discussing IGCSE Options choices.

Electronic Cigarettes
Recently we have become aware that some students have had access to electronic cigarettes which they have bought from shops in the city. Please be aware these are potentially as addictive as real cigarettes and are most certainly banned from school. It can be difficult to identify them because they look like pens.

Grade 9 and 11 Exams are now one week away. 
Students know that revision and preparation are necessary

Grade 7 and 8 Exams start at the end of February. Students should be getting ready!

Temporary Prefects
The Class 2014 are involved in their Mock Exams and the Class 2015 are acting prefects and will be doing so for the next few weeks until we choose a new prefect team. Please do your best to ensure you cooperate with them in the mornings and help them do their job to the best of their abilities. In particular we do ask that drivers drive slowly through the car park areas in the morning when dropping students off and in the afternoon when collecting them.

University Visits
Mercyhurst University is visiting school on Monday and Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday at lunchtimes to talk about their programmes with interested students. Please encourage your son or daughter to come along.

Bicultural Leadership Conference is Friday and Saturday next week. Students who have signed up will be attending on both days and will go straight to the activity at ESEN on Friday morning.

Secondary dates for your diary
Tuesday 4th February: Grade 6 and 7 Parent Teacher Meeting 5.30 pm PAC
Thursday 6th February: Grade 8 IGCSE Information and Parent Teacher Meeting 5.30 pm PAC
Friday 7th February: Leadership Conference
Saturday 8th February: Leadership Conference
Monday 10th February: Grade 9 and 11 Exams start. Internet Safety Week
Thursday 20th February: INSET for teachers, no school for students
Friday 21st February: Half Term holiday
Monday 24th February: Half Term holiday
Wednesday 26th February: Grade 12 Parent Partnership Meeting, reports issued 5.30pm PAC
Thursday 27th February: Grade 10 IB Information and Parent Teacher Meeting 5.30 pm PAC

Friday 24 January 2014

19: Friday 24th January 2014

Primary News



Help setting up Parental Controls 
Due to the very positive response from our Web Influence School for Parents, and in recognition that Santa will have provided lots of new electronic devices, we are now offering the following facility. Fernando Montes, our Systems Manager, and his team will be available between 1:30pm and 2:30pm to assist you with setting up parental controls on your devices. Please do take advantage of this if you need to and help keep your children safe online.

Sports Days
Our youngest children took part in their sports events this week, thank you to the PE team for their organisation and to all the parents who showed up to support their children and their tribe! Next week Grades 1 to 5 will be having their Sports Days, please check the calendars below for dates.

UP parent meetings
Teachers in UP will continue to meet with parents after school next week. Please be in touch if you would like the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with any of their class or specialist teachers.

Graduating class of 2029!
Our first evaluation session for the children of parents wishing their child to enter our PK classes in August 2014 will be on Saturday 1st February with a second session the following Saturday (8th). Estefania Chacon our admissions officer will be contacting parents whose children are registered to let them know which session their child should attend.

Reading and Maths workshop for Prepa parents
Parents of children in our Prepa classes are invited to a workshop on Wednesday 29th January which will be lead by Prepa teachers and which will help parents to understand how to help their children with reading and maths at home. This workshop will be held in the PAC at 7.10am.

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
Monday 27th January: First Grade Sports Day - from 10:00 to 11:30am
Tuesday 28th January: Pre Kinder - Trip to Tin Marin Museum - from 8:00 to 11:30am
Wednesday 29th January: Prepa - Reading & Maths Workshop - from 7:00 to 8:00am
Thursday 30th January: Prepa - Ice Age at Multiplaza - from 8:30 to 11:30am
Friday 31st January: Kinder Lima Assembly - 07:20 - PAC

Upper Primary
Monday 20th - Friday 31st: UP Teachers meet all UP parents 
Thursday 23rd - Friday 24th: 4th Grade camping night
Tuesday 28th January: 2nd grade Sports Day, from 10.00am to 12.00m
Wednesday 29th January: 3rd grade Sports Day, from 10.00am to 12.00m
Thursday 30th January: 4th grade Sports Day, from 10.00am to 12.00m
Friday 31st January: 5th grade Sports Day, from 10.00am to 12.00m

Secondary News

Internet Controls
We would like to reinforce the advice coming from the Primary School about the importance of setting up filters and checks in your home to ensure your children are not exposed to pornography or inappropriate sites. We also ask that you check the sites they visit on mobile devices such as phones if these have roamers.

Circus
Congratulations to the Class 2015 for an excellent Circus last night.

Grade 9 and Grade 11 Parent Teacher Meetings are on Tuesday evening.
The Grade 11 meeting will start in the ABCLT and the Grade 9 in the PAC at 5.30 pm. These will be followed by individual Parent Teacher meetings.

Grade 10 and Grade 12 Mock Exams are starting on Monday
Students are aware of their individual timetables and only need to come to school for their exams. They must arrive at least fifteen minutes before an exam in full school uniform (NOT their PE kit). If they have only one exam they may go home straight after that exam but if they have more than one exam they may not go home between exams but must stay at school until the end of their final exam that day. Students will be able to revise in classrooms as well as make use of the LRC.

Secondary dates for your diary
Monday 27th January: Grade 10 and 12 Mock Exams start
Tuesday 28th January: Grade 9 and 11 Parent Partnership Meeting and Parent Teacher Meeting 5.30 pm (PAC and ABCLT)
Tuesday 4th February: Grade 6 and 7 Parent Teacher Meeting 5.30 pm PAC
Thursday 6th February: Grade 8 IGCSE Information and Parent Teacher Meeting 5.30 pm PAC
Friday 7th February: Leadership Conference
Saturday 8th February: Leadership Conference
Monday 10th February: Grade 9 and 11 Exams start. Internet Safety Week
Thursday 20th February: INSET for teachers, no school for students
Friday 21st February: Half Term holiday
Monday 24th February: Half Term holiday
Wednesday 26th February: Grade 12 Parent Partnership Meeting, reports issued 5.30pm PACThursday 27th February: Grade 10 IB Information and Parent Teacher Meeting 5.30 pm PAC

Friday 17 January 2014

18: Friday 17th January 2014

From the Headmaster

Security
Please note that we have re-enforced security on the access roads to school, especially around Citibank.

Traffic
In order to reduce traffic congestion along Avenida El Boquerón, please note that FOVIAL has opened the access road between Burger King and Biggest.

We ask parents not to arrive before their child's departure time so as to avoid overloading the access roads to school - this will allow for better traffic flow.

P
rimary News


Welcome back to school and a Happy New Year to everyone.
The children all seemed very happy to be back in school this week and ready for another busy term. Parents of boys please check the length of your son’s hair to make sure that it meets the expectations of the school’s rules. Thank you.

School starts at 7am
This week we have been lenient with children who have arrived late for school understanding that the road works and layouts changed over the holidays and that parents would need time to get used to finding alternative routes. Next week, however, we do expect all children to be in school in time for registration at 7am and children who arrive after this time will be registered late. Thank you for your help with this.

UP parent meetings
Parents who have children un UP are invited to make arrangements to meet with their class teachers after school in the next two weeks. These meetings are not compulsory but if there is anything at all that you wish to discuss about your child’s report, homework, class work curriculum etc then this is the time to do it. Teachers will be contacting some parents directly to ask them to make appointments.

Sports Days
Primary school Sports Days begin next Wednesday. Please look at the calendar information below to see when your children’s sports days are and please come along to support them. We are looking forward to seeing you there.

4th Grade Camping Night
4th Grade children are all ready and excited about their ‘Space Camp’ aka the grade 4 camping night next week. These brief sojourns away from home are great opportunities for us to help your children develop independence and resilience whilst learning and having fun in a safe, closely supervised and organised environment. Thank you to the Grade 4 Madres Enlace for their help with this special event.

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
Wednesday 22nd - Prepa Sports Day
Thursday 23rd - Kinder Sports Day
Friday 24th - Pre Kinder Sports Day
Friday 24th - Kinder Suárez Assembly -07:20 - PAC
Monday 27th - First Grade Sports Day
Friday 31st - Kinder Lima Assembly - 07:20 - PAC

Upper Primary
Monday 20th - Friday 31st: UP teachers meet all UP Parents
Wednesday 22nd: 3rd Hayward Assembly, at 9.10am in the PAC
Wednesday 22nd: 4th McCall Assembly, at 11.55am in the PAC
Thursday 23rd - Friday 24th: 4th Grade camping night
Tuesday 28th: 2nd grade Sports Day, from 10.00am to 12.00m
Wednesday 29th: 3rd grade Sports Day, from 10.00am to 12.00m
Thursday 30th: 4th grade Sports Day, from 10.00am to 12.00m
Friday 31st: 5th grade Sports Day, from 10.00am to 12.00m

Secondary News

Start of Term
It has been a good start to term in terms of students settling down to work and we all need to work to ensure our students continue to try to do their best. This is especially the case for Grade 9 to 12 all of whom who have exams coming up in the next four weeks.

Next Week is Leadership Week
As Mahatma Gandhi said “leadership is about getting on with people” and remember he also said “you must be the change you want to see in the world.” All of our students are leaders and next week we will explore issues related to being an effective leader!

Class 2015 Circus: “Paragon”
We hope you will support the Class 2015 Circus next week

Parent teacher meetings coming up
Please make a note on your calendar to attend our Parent Teacher meetings. You will have the chance to speak to all your children’s teachers and be able to discuss their development in the different subjects. It is also a good opportunity to discuss areas of improvement and set targets with them. 

Uniform and hair
We ask that you check your son and daughter’s uniforms to see that they meet our school’s expectations. Regulations can be found in the Student Planner. Please pay particular attention to girls’ skirt length and boy’s hair and we remind you that proper sport shoes must be worn for PE lessons. We appreciate your help in ensuring our students wear their ABC uniform with pride.

Upcoming school exams
Heads of Year have already started talking to students about the exam period coming up. The dates can be found on our school calendar. Although there is still some time, we ask you to speak to your son and daughter about their revision schedule so they can best prepare for these exams. Please note Grade 6 do not have an exam week this year.

Secondary dates for your diary
Thursday 23rd January: Class 2015 Circus
Friday 24th January: Class 2015 Circus
Monday 27th January: Grade 10 and 12 Mock Exams start
Tuesday 28th January: Grade 9 and 11 Parent Partnership Meeting and Parent Teacher Meeting 5.30 pm (PAC and ABCLT)
Tuesday 4th February: Grade 6 and 7 Parent Teacher Meeting 5.30 pm PAC
Thursday 6th February: Grade 8 IGCSE Information and Parent Teacher Meeting 5.30 pm PAC
Friday 7th February: Leadership Conference
Saturday 8th February: Leadership Conference
Monday 10th February: Grade 9 and 11 Exams start. Internet Safety Week
Thursday 20th February: INSET for teachers, no school for students
Friday 21st February: Half Term holiday
Monday 24th February: Half Term holiday
Wednesday 26th February: Grade 12 Parent Partnership Meeting, reports issued 
Thursday 27th February: Grade 10 IB Information and Parent Teacher Meeting 5.30 pm PAC

Friday 10 January 2014

17: Friday 20th December 2013

Primary News

We have reached the end of a long and very busy term. The children have worked hard and played hard. They have acquired a great deal of knowledge, which we hope they have shared with you, and developed skills and understanding that allow them to become curious, independent and responsible learners. We are proud of the progress that they have made.

We hope that you all have a good Christmas with family and friends and look forward to welcoming all the children back in school at 7a.m on Monday 13th January.

Santa’s Festival & Lower Primary Shows
A big thank you to all who attended this wonderful festive evening that was clearly enjoyed by children, parents and staff. Whilst having fun you also raised $3600 toward ABC’s Scholarship Fund, this helps us to provide scholarships for the families of our maintenance staff. Thank you.

Reminders
Just a few reminders :

If you are planning on buying your children trainers for PE over the holidays please remember that the rule in primary is that they should be predominantly white and supportive of the foot and ankle. It is important to us that trainers are viewed as a part of the equipment necessary for exercising well and safely rather than as a fashion accessory.

The holidays are a perfect time for parents of boys to make sure that the hair is of the correct length for school and we hope that all of our boys will return to school in January looking smart. Please remember that the school rules say that boys hair should be off their collars, short over their ears and off their faces.

I would prefer that the children did not wear jewellery to school at all, however, the school rules do say that children are permitted to wear one bracelet ( worn close to the skin so as not to be dangerous, small stud earrings ( girls) and a necklace. Please be responsible for ensuring that these expectations are met by your child and be conscious of the safety aspects of wearing jewellery for PE and playtimes.

As of January children in primary will not be permitted to bring Smartphones to school. We see no reason for primary aged children to need these during the school day. If you feel that your child really must have a phone please send them with a basic model which will be adequate for phoning or texting home if necessary. These will still have to be handed in at the UP office in the mornings. Don’t forget that we have a number of landline phones in school for children to use in an emergency. Children may not bring iPads, iPods or other electronic devices to school.

Prospective Parents Evening
On Thursday 16th January we look forward to welcoming to school parents who wish their children to become a member of the ABC graduating class of 2029! Interested parents attending this meeting will find out more about the programmes used in our Pre Kinder and Kinder classes and will hear, from teachers, about the day to day lives of children in the Foundation Stage of our school; their learning and their development. Evaluation days for Pre Kinder entrants will be Saturday 1st and Saturday 8th February.

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
Friday 20th December: Last day of school - children leave at 11am - no Play Room

Upper Primary
Friday 20th December: Last day of school - children leave at 11.30am - no Pass Club