Friday 29 August 2014

3: Friday 29th August 2014

From the Director



As we complete our first full week it is a time to reflect on our aspirations for the year ahead and the best ways for us to ensure we meet them. I know you at home will have hopes and expectations for the year ahead for your children and we have high hopes for them as well. In all our dealings we seek to be firm, friendly, fair, focused and forward looking with the appropriate learning of our students at the centre of all we do. In this respect all of us as role models are very important - both at school and at home. In school we work hard to ensure students learn from good role models and we also ask that our school community follows suit. This includes in the morning in the line waiting to come in to school. It means being patient, waiting your turn and driving safely and sensibly. We ask that you do not cut in to the line, that you do not speed and that you do not use your mobile phone while driving. We also ask that you wear and insist your children wear their seat belts.

In order to help promote our values and to help all of us understand how to be better role models and to use our values to educate our children we have invited Dr. Neil Hawkes to visit the ABC next month. He will be meeting with staff and students and will be providing training for teachers at our INSET Day. He will also be giving a talk to parents at 6.30pm on Tuesday 16th September as advertised in the poster above. We will provide access to translation if you need it and we hope the PAC will be full of ABC parents who want to hear about ways of ensuring our children grow up respecting themselves and the world around them.

Primary News

All classes now have their ‘Madre Enlace’ in place and their first meeting will take place next Tuesday morning at 7.00am. If you have any questions about school routines your Madre Enlace can be an informal source of help and advice. They will introduce themselves at the Back to School Nights. Please also be aware of any new parents joining your class and make them feel welcome and part of the parent community.

The ‘back to school night’ is an important evening where you get a chance to spend time with your child’s new teacher and find about about their particular routines and requirements. There will also be light refreshments afterwards served in the Jubilee Library.

The Primary school Spanish team is preparing a series of events over the course of the month of September to celebrate Independence. I hope your children will tell you what they have been doing but you may need to ask them from time to time!

Have a wonderful week. Very best wishes.

Sharon Short - Head of Primary

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary 
Week beginning 1st September: Extra curricular activities start 
Monday 1st September: Back to school night for Pre-Kinder and Kinder 6.00-7.00 pm in the PAC and then in your child’s classroom
Wednesday 3rd September: Back to school night for Prepa and First grades 6.00-7.00 pm in the PAC and then in your child’s classroom
Monday 15th September: Independence day
Tuesday 16th September: Staff inset training day
Friday 19th September: McLay Fun run. All children should come in their PE kit.

Upper Primary
Thursday 9th September: extracurricular activities start 
Tuesday 9th September: Back to school night for 2nd and 3rd grades, 6.00-7.00 pm PAC
Wednesday 10th September: Back to school night for 4th and 5th grades, 6.00-7.00 pm PAC
Monday 15th September: Independence day
Tuesday 16th September: Staff inset training day
Friday 19th September: McLay fun run. All children should come in their PE kit.

Secondary News


The first full week of school ended with a special tutor time Periods 6&7 on Friday. During this time students explored their learning style, reviewed their achievements from last year and set themselves targets for the first term.

Please discuss with your child what they discovered about their learning style and what they can do in school, and at home, to improve their performance.

Useful websites on the topic of learning styles (and some other very useful information) include:

www.brainboxx.co.uk
www.educationplanner.org
www.edutopia.org

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.- Confucius

Grade 11 & 12 Economics and Business & Management New York Trip. 
The payment deadline is this Monday (1st September) for those interested in the New York Trip. The trip is open to all IB Economics and Business & Management students from Grades 11 & 12. If you missed Thursday’s Informational Evening and have questions please contact andrewmurgatroyd@abc-net.edu.sv. The trip should be a GREAT experience.

New Secondary School staff
It is my pleasure to introduce to you the rest of the new teachers that joined the Secondary School in August 2014:

Tim Brogan 
Tim Brogan has lived and worked in many countries around the world including United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, USA and Colombia. He will be teaching Mathematics and will also be a form tutor.

He is looking forward to getting involved in all aspects of school life and of course becoming more fluent in Spanish.

Tim enjoys all sports and supports this season’s premier league champions- Chelsea! He also plays football and tennis.

He also loves music and plays guitar and piano.

Natalie Gowman 
I am a Biology and Science teacher. My previous experiences include teaching at bilingual and Welsh medium schools in Wales, UK and an international school in Italy. I have been a Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 form tutor and look forward to Grade 10 this year. I am really looking forward to developing my teaching experience at Academia Britanica Cuscatleca.

I am excited to explore El Salvador, including the many beaches, ancient ruins and all it has to offer. I hope to learn Spanish ‘quickly’ and hopefully learn to surf. I am really enjoying and overwhelmed by the warm and friendly welcome we have received from everyone inside and outside the school. 

Gill Gregory
I am Gill Gregory and I am teaching History and English at ABC. I have been teaching for over twenty years in a wide range of schools around Britain and most recently in Bahrain. Over the years I have taught numerous subjects including History, Government and Politics, Religious Education and PSHE.

I love my classroom, the interaction with the pupils and sharing my passion for learning. For me there is no better vocation than educating future generations.

I am excited to be in El Salvador and I am looking forward to exploring this part of the world. 

Extra-curricular activities
The first session of extra-curricular activities start on Monday 1st September. I am very pleased with the range activities on offer, provided by both teachers and students, and I hope that students will embrace the opportunities to widen their individual interests and talents. The students have been informed of the activities on offer and they will be signing-up during lunchtime on Monday 1st September.

CIS Tour
The ABC will be hosting the CIS Tour on Tuesday 2nd September from 2.00p.m. to 3:30p.m. Thirty universities from around the USA will be represented. Parents are invited to support this event.

Please contact Mr Eric Quijano to to confirm your participation or to ask any questions about the event. 

ericquijano@abc-net.edu.sv



























Stephen Spicer - Head of Secondary

Secondary dates for your diary
Wednesday 2nd September: CIS Tour, 2.00pm to 3.00pm Auditorium
Thursday 4th September: Costa Rica 2015 Environmental Systems Meeting, ABC Theatre at 6pm (This is a meeting to present information relevant to the 2015 Costa Rica field trip for Environmental Systems. Parents of students enrolled in the current Grade 11 course are invited to attend and ask questions. The meeting will last for one hour approximately).
Tuesday 30th September: Grade 6 Know Your School, 5:30 PAC
Thursday 2nd October: Grade 11 & 12 Know Your School, 5:30 PAC
Monday 6th October: Grade 7 & 8 Know Your School, 5:30 PAC
Wednesday 8th October: Grade 9 & 10 Know Your School, 5:30 PAC

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