Friday 30 October 2015

11: Friday 30th October 2015

From the Director


This weekend I am attending the IB Heads Conference and trust everyone has had a good end to the week at school. I hope that, from this ABC weekly and hopefully from talking to your child, you are aware of the forthcoming event on Saturday 14th November at school from 8.30am - 12.30 pm - the ABC’s first RACE FOR SURVIVAL which is in partnership with Save the Children. This is a major event to raise awareness and funds and to show the ABC community’s commitment to improving the survival and wellbeing of newly born babies and infants in El Salvador. We are expecting many parents and students to come along and support the event, hopefully with their t shirts and we will be organising car park passes to ensure parking is available. More details of the car park passes will come next week. Please do get a car pass and join us. We need everyone's support.


The RACE FOR SURVIVAL includes the following:
  • a 28 lap tribal competition running relay (each student who volunteers will only have to run 2 laps with their tribal teammates) and a tribal competition based on fun activities planned for the day on the school field. Each tribe (Aztec, Inca, Maya, Pipil) will have 28 students running in the tribal relay and the other fun games - so this is an opportunity for your son or daughter to represent his or her tribe. Please encourage your son or daughter to participate and help promote his event
  • a more serious 2.8 km race for individual Secondary ABC students or adult runners - so parents bring your running gear and get practising. There is also a 0.9 km run for Primary athletes. Student athletes can register their interest in participating in these races at school. 
  • there will also be food, music, performances, awards and lots of fun events planned by the children for children on Saturday morning. So even if you or your children are not involved in the races we want you to be there to show your support. 
  • ultimately we want the ABC community assembling together to send out the message that we are committed (along with Save the Children) to improving the survival chances of infants in El Salvador!
The reason for the number 28 is that a new-born baby is most vulnerable during its first 28 days and in El Salvador this is when too many babies lose their lives. Also, according to Save the Children, approximately 28% of infant deaths in El Salvador are due to babies being born prematurely. Our RACE FOR SURVIVAL will increase awareness, raise funds and significantly help to prevent such losses!

Please encourage your child to sign up to run in the actual 28 lap tribal competition relay (the actual RACE FOR SURVIVAL) and perhaps the 2.8km race as well. Students that sign up to run using the google form that Mr Rombout emailed to them (http://goo.gl/forms/HSX4gcQlqI) will automatically gain a tribal point for their enthsiasm and willingness to participate.

Whether or not you child is running in the race, parents please bring your family to our first RACE FOR SURVIVAL on Saturday 14th November and participate in this historic event at the ABC that should really show our commitment to infant survival in El Salvador!


On another note I would like to remind all parents of the car park etiquette in the morning and afternoon. Please keep your speed down at all times and watch out for children. Please never encourage your child to cross the road except at the pedestrian crossing. We are working with the students in this respect but we ask for your support so that children see the same message coming from all of their carers.

We wish you all a very pleasant half term holiday and see you back in school on Monday 9th November. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Guy Fawkes party on Friday 20th November.

Primary News

In UP This Week

5th Grade went to war as Roman soldiers in Tortuga formation and got a little wet! Thanks to the Madres Enlace for their help with the water bombs!



Inspired by both Ollie Tumner's body percussion and STOMP videos, 4th Grade experimented with these ideas for their Entry Point for their new IPC unit 'Look! Hear!' Mr. Díaz started us off with body percussion rhythms, and then each class separated into groups to produce STOMP’s using basketballs, cups, brooms, pots and pans, different types of bags and plastic containers. An amazing time was had by all children, and the results were fantastic. Perhaps an ABC STOMP group is in the making. 



For the past 3 weeks, 3rd Grade have been learning about the value - 'Enthusiastic'! They have learnt about the importance of doing everything with a positive attitude and how this makes all the difference when trying to achieve positive results!


Students from 12th grade have been coming to UP and, through playing different games, giving pep-talks and performing role plays, they have been sharing their experiences of how, by being enthusiastic about school life and activities, they have changed the way they approach challenges, and how important this is!

It has also been United Nation’s Week which has included 3rd Pattenden’s very informative assembly about all the important issues the UN are involved with. As always the Madres Enlace have been wonderful and ensured all of UP were able to experience a range of foods from India, Argentina, Brazil and France for our UN Food Fair. Look out for pictures in the next edition.

Movember - Cancer Awareness
Primary staff, along with Secondary students and staff, will be growing moustaches to raise awareness of men’s health issues in November. It all starts with a clean shave! 


Have a relaxing half term break and we look forward to seeing you in school on Monday 9th November.

In LP This Week

We finalised our United Nations activities this week. In PK and Kinder we have been joined by parents on a daily basis over the past month. They have been helping out with the different activities and it was great to have such fantastic support!




In Prepa we invited parents in to join their child for the “Who am I?” exit point in the PAC.


Last week some of the PK parents presented their interpretation of the book Handa’s Surprise by Eileen Brown.


Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
October
Friday 30th: Half term begins
November
Monday 9th: Return to school
Friday 13th: Prepa Ware assembly 7:30 am PAC
Saturday 14th November: Race for Survival
Friday 20th: Prepa Taylor assembly 7:30 am PAC
Friday 27th: Prepa Gray assembly 7:30 am PAC
December
Friday 4th: Prepa Watt assembly 7:30 am PAC
Wednesday 16th: Christmas Shows 4:00 - 6:30pm PAC
Friday 18th: Last day of term one - finish 11 am with older siblings - NO PLAY ROOM

Upper Primary
October
Friday 30th: Children's Day- Jeans Day. 
Half term begins
UN food fair 
November
Monday 9th: Return to school 
Wednesday 11th: 2nd Lourdes Hernandez Assembly. PAC at 9.20 and 12.15
Saturday 14th: Race for Survival
Wednesday 18th: 4th grade Spanish Assembly. PAC at 9.20 and 12.15
Friday 20th: 3rd grade Bake Sale
Friday 20th: Guy Fawkes 
Wednesday 25th: 5th Molina Assembly. PAC at 9.20 and 12.15
Friday 27th: 5th Grade Bake Sale
Friday 27th and Saturday 28th: 2nd grade Camping
December
Wednesday 2nd: 4th Navas Assembly. PAC at 9.20 and 12.15
Friday 4th: 2nd grade Bake Sale
Friday 11th: 4th grade Bake Sale
Friday 11th: UP reports go home
Wednesday 16th: Santa's Festival
Friday 18th: Last day of term one

Secondary News

Cancer Awareness Month - Breast Cancer Awareness Talk & Movember
This week (on Tuesday 27th of October) we had the talk by Dr. Cecilia Martínez de Monroy, leading clinical oncologist, on breast cancer. The feedback from those that attended was very positive. 

Dr. Cecilia Martínez de Monroy presenting to parents on Tuesday night

As mentioned in last week’s ABC Weekly, November sees the start of Movember. Staff and students, in support of Movember (moustache November), will be growing moustaches. Please note, this is not an excuse for students not to shave, to be scruffy or to grow a beard; participating students are only allowed to grow.



ABC Talent Show
The first auditions (at this stage there are no eliminations, instead students are given advice to work on their presentations) were held this week for the ABC Talent Show. There will be a round of second auditions in November (this is when there will be eliminations). Acts of all types were invited to audition, including singing, dancing, drama and magic tricks. 

Students will be working on their acts in January, technical and dress rehearsals will happen in February and the show will take place on February 19th. The show will be open to parents, students and teachers. 

IT web conference - Wednesday 28th of October
On Wednesday, we held our long awaited web conference with St. Justin Martyr School, in Missouri. Grade 6 students in both schools have been working on a project in which they share a presentations which illustrate a typical day in their lives. 



This was an unforgettable sharing and learning experience for our students, one which I am sure they will remember the rest of their lives.


It is vital that the current generation of children learn to actively engage with the world in a positive manner and practice good netiquette in doing so. Experiences such as this one help students build their understanding of global citizenship and embrace its values and practices.

Jennifer Garcia
KS3 ICT Teacher & Learning Resources Centre Coordinator

Halloween Make-up Competition - Friday 30th September
Today we had a halloween make-up competition. Students competed at lunchtime to produce the best halloween costume/make-up combination (although judging was based primarily on the make-up) for a halloween hamper worth $25.

Congratulations to Gabriela Zedán in grade 11 - a very talented artist!

A big thank you to Mrs Estela Mena for organising this fun and creative event.

Absences during term time
Students should only be absent from school when unwell or when there are extraordinary circumstances (in which case the school should be notified in advance whenever possible). That said, there is a worrying number of parents that are taking their children out of school in term time for holidays/family events (normally immediately before or after a school holiday - when it is at these times that we often set internal assessments that contribute to CAL grades). 

We try to be accommodating with regards to re-scheduling assessments when a child is absent for legitimate reasons, although this is still not always possible. Planned assessments will not however, be rescheduled if students announce they are going to be absent due to a holiday and, due to time constraints, it may not be possible for an absent child to sit an assessment before the CAL deadline. This then leaves teachers with missing information regarding a child’s progress and understanding (and the child themselves is left uncertain of their progress). Equally important is that students are missing learning experiences when absent from school. 

Please note that student attendance matters for academic performance and as such absences from school should be avoided whenever possible. It is for this reason that the school calendar is published well in advance to accommodate parents making holiday arrangements.
Requests for information
We encourage parents to speak to their children about their progress, and happiness, and to contact the school if they have concerns. During the school year we provide opportunities for parents to meet with teachers and if we have concerns we are quick to contact parents (this often results in a child’s teachers being contacted to provide information on the issue). 

If a parent has academic concerns about a specific subject then, having copied in the relevant Head of Year, they are very welcome to contact that teacher. Concerns other than academic or general requests for information should go the student’s Head of Year; parents should not send out requests for information directly to all of their child’s teachers. However, as a rule -given that we provide regular opportunities for face-to-face feedback, that we do act swiftly if we have concerns as a school and as our teachers are exceptionally busy- we do not support general information requests from parents. 

British Fortnight 
The British Fortnight starts straight after the half-term break. As part of this celebration we will be offering a variety of British food and the Performing Arts Department is planning a number of concerts. Furthermore, many subjects will have British-themed segments in their lessons during the fortnight.

The fortnight culminates with a night of entertainment with the Guy Fawkes celebration/Christmas Fair (Friday 20th of November).

I hope you have the opportunity to spend some quality family time together over the half-term break. When we return after the holiday we will be on Week B (please make sure your child/ren are prepared for the correct week).

Warm regards,

Stephen Spicer
Head of Secondary

Secondary dates for your diary
November - aka Movember
Monday 2nd - Friday 6th November: HALF TERM HOLIDAY
Monday 9th November - ‘British Fortnight’ begins
Friday 13th November - Save the Children ‘Race for Survival’ t-shirt/non-uniform day - Cake Fair
Saturday 14th November - Save the Children ‘Race for Survival’
Friday 20th November - Guy Fawkes Party and Christmas Fair
Saturday 21st November - Grade 11 (Class 2017) Empowerment Day: Theme ‘Unity’
Monday 23rd November - Recycling Week
Thursday 26th November - Parent/Teacher meetings for Grades 10 & 12 
Thursday 3rd December - Grade 6, 7 and 8 Parent Partnership
Tuesday 8th December - Grade 10 (Class 2018) Empowerment Day: Theme ‘Perseverance’
Friday 18th December - Last day of term

Friday 23 October 2015

10: Friday 23rd October 2015

From the Director 

I would like to begin by congratulating the Under 12 Basketball team who became the national champions last night in the gimnasio nacional. You can see a link to their success on the ABC Newsblog. We are all very proud of them.

Thank you for your patience and support over the weather situation at the start of the week. We hope the storms have now passed and life will return to normal. As a result of the weather we have postponed the Save the Children Race for Survival from tomorrow until Saturday 14th November. Please come along and support the event at school that morning.

The first Save the Children ‘Race for Survival’ t-shirt/jeans day will be on Friday 30th of October. T-shirts will be distributed from Monday 26th of October.


The recent weather has affected many communities close to Santa Tecla and we would like the support of the entire ABC community to help people who have been affected, especially in El Triunfo, El Limon, Matazano, Granadias, Sacazil, and San Rafael. The priority is food products and clothing for all ages. The food items suggested are but anything which has a long life would be suitable such as soups, beans, rice, juices, oatmeal in individual envelopes, salty crackers or cookies wrapped individually, powdered milk, vegetables, cereal boxes, bottled water and disposable spoons, cups plates etc. Please have a look to see if you can make a donation or buy something while shopping at the weekend if you have time. Please do not forget any clothing you have which you no longer need but others may be able to use.

We will be collecting your donations at the Primary and Secondary Offices next week until Thursday 29, October. We will be working with the Alcaldia to distribute these items. We thank you in advance for your support! 

Primary News

Dear Parents and Carers,

As you all know the week got off to a difficult start with the Ministry Of Education directing school closure due to the bad weather. It was good to know that all of our communication channels worked well and no students turned up for school unexpectedly. The primary staff were in school working on the planning for the next IPC units, organising resources and some of our parent meetings were still able to go ahead. It was a very productive time for staff and therefore the planning afternoon for December has been cancelled.

As you will see above, we have unfortunately had to postpone the Race for Survival until Saturday 14th November, but the arrangements for the day will remain the same, starting at 8.30 and finishing at 12.30, with many additional activities taking place. We are also postponing the distribution of the T-shirt packs until next week.

Secondary school students have organised the annual Shoeing campaign and there has been a large box outside the Jubilee Library but I do feel our primary students could contribute more. Please send in shoes that the children have outgrown or that are no longer needed so that they can be redistributed to families and children in need.

As a whole school we are also supporting families who lost everything in the bad weather. (Please see Mr Keslake’s section) We have sent out a list of items needed and ask that you do your utmost to support those people who are less fortunate than we are by sending in as many items on the list as you can. People nearby are homeless, hungry and without a change of clothes so everything you can give is desperately needed. We are working with local agencies who will distribute the items for us. Please send your donations to the primary office next week. 

Please have a look at the secondary notices below relating to the Cancer Awareness Months. 




Next week is the official UN week but Lower Primary parents have been coming in all month to work on activities with their children. We would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to those parents who have been able to attend. The Upper Primary students will be having a focus on UN next week. Each class is studying a country and the Madres Enlace will be providing some international refreshments at the end of the week.

As you will see from the image here it is the UN’s 70th birthday on the 24th October. This is a success story of collaboration between nations and certainly should be celebrated across the world.




Pre-Kinder parents came in on Friday Morning and performed a wonderful Spanish presentation of the book Handa’s Surprise. It was really well done and the children were enthralled. We hope to show you photographs next week.

Wishing you all a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

Sharon Short
Head of Primary

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
October
Monday 26th: Friday 30th final week for contributions to Shoeing
Friday 30th: First Rivera Assembly 7:30am PAC
Friday 30th: Half term begins
November
Monday 9th November: Return to school
Saturday 14th November: Race for Survival

Upper Primary
October
Monday 26th - Friday 30th: UN Week
Monday 26th - Friday 30th final week for contributions to Shoeing
Friday 30th: UN food fair
Wednesday 28th: 3rd Pattenden Assembly at 9.20 and 12.15 PAC
Friday 30th Half term begins
November
Monday 9th November: Return to school 
Saturday 14th November: Race for Survival

Secondary News

This was a short week for students due to the school closure on Monday and Tuesday. Please make sure your child completes the work that they were set on these days. 

Workshop for parents and students on "ADHD at school."
Under our ABC Cares and Pastoral support programme through the LSU, we invited Lic Marta de Gómez, leading specialist and ADHD Coach, to run a set of two workshops, one for parents and one for students, on the topic of ADHD and how best to support our children to reach their full potential. We believe in working hand in hand: school, home and students and we are delighted to have had so many parents and students attend these two sessions on how best to understand and guide our students. The students workshop included strategies for them to implement in order to effectively manage time and work expectations.


We will be inviting Lic. Gómez for a follow up workshop for our teachers and look forward to developing more parent/ student workshops in future. If you would like to attend a workshop on a particular topic, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Cáceres at nataliacaceres@abc-net.edu.sv with your suggestions.

Careers Day and University Fair
Grade 11 Careers Day & the 7th Annual University Fair - Thursday 22nd of October. Grade 11 students came to school dressed in very smart business attire. At registration each student received their “passport” to go to a series of professional career talks, according to their career interests. The day kicked off in the PAC with a keynote speech by professional leadership specialist Emilio Lazo, who talked to students about the power of having vision, setting goals, seeking opportunities, and working hard to achieve the goals they set for themselves. 

Students then attended different talks led by professionals in their particular fields of expertise. Students were able to listen to university career requirements, and the fields where professionals work and develop their skills. Then, to complement the process, the students had one hour to visit the University Fair, and they interacted with about 30 university representatives standing in for more than 60 of the very best institutions from the USA, Europe, Mexico and Central America. Grade 9, 10 and 12 students also had their opportunity to visit the fair at different times, and other schools joined in. For the Grade 12 students it was a time to consolidate their university choices to be ready to apply for admission by December. For the younger cohorts it was a time to spark their interest about possible careers and the destinations. 

Cancer Awareness Months
As you will be aware, October (for women) and November (for men) are cancer awareness months at the ABC, and worldwide. The ABC Actua Team are continuing to work hard in this area raising funds for, and awareness about, cancer issues.

This weekend is the Avon Walk Against Cancer (see poster below). Please support this event if you can. 


As we end October we are allowing Secondary school girls to wear pink nail varnish all next week to continue our efforts to raise awareness.

Please be reminded that on Tuesday (27th of October) next week we have invited Dr. Cecilia Martínez de Monroy, leading clinical oncologist, to come to the ABC and help us raise awareness and education on breast cancer. 


Next month we enter Movember (if you are not familiar with Movember it comes from a combination of the words moustache and November). Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues such as prostate cancer and other male cancers.

Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. The worrying fact is that, for whatever reason, men are less likely than women to seek help if they suspect cancer and when they do it is often too late to treat. Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.


In support of Movember, Secondary school boys will be allowed to grow moustaches during November. This will not be an excuse not to shave, to be scruffy or to grow a beard; what students will be allowed to do is grow a moustache. They will be joined by a number of the male teachers at the ABC who will also be sprouting moustaches in support of Movember. 

During the month of November there will be a number of events in support of Movember, along with opportunities for girls and female teachers to support the cause. 

Save the Children ‘Race for Survival’ t-shirt/non-uniform day - 30th of October
As mentioned above by Mr Keslake, the ‘Race for Survival’ has been postponed until Saturday 14th November due to the recent adverse weather and the weather forecast for this Saturday. Due to this decision we have also postponed the first ‘Race for Survival’ t-shirt/non-uniform day to Friday 30th of October. T-shirt packs will be distributed next week.

The arrangements for the ‘Race for Survival’ day on Saturday 14th November remain the same. 

International Award
Parents please check for any camping equipment that your child may have as part of their current or past involvement with the International Award which they have forgotten to return. We are also looking for parents to donate any 2/3 man tents, and other camping equipment, that they no longer want.

I hope you ánd your family have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

Stephen Spicer
Head of Secondary

Secondary dates for your diary
Friday 23rd October - ABC Founder’s Day
Saturday 24th October - Avon Walk Against Cancer 
w/c Monday 26th October - UN Week
Tuesday 27th October - Breast Cancer Awareness Talk, 6.00pm in the PAC
Thursday 29th October to Saturday 7th November - Art trip to Amsterdam and Paris
Friday 30th October - Save the Children ‘Race for Survival’ t-shirt/non-uniform day 
November - aka Movember
Monday 2nd - Friday 6th November: HALF TERM HOLIDAY
Monday 9th November - ‘British Fortnight’ begins
Friday 13th November - Save the Children ‘Race for Survival’ t-shirt/non-uniform day
Saturday 14th November - Save the Children ‘Race for Survival
Friday 20th November - Guy Fawkes Party and Christmas Fair
Saturday 21st November - Grade 11 (Class 2017) Empowerment Day: Theme ‘Unity’
Monday 23rd November - Recycling Week
Thursday 26th November - Parent/Teacher meetings for Grades 10 & 12 
Thursday 3rd December - Grade 6, 7 and 8 Parent Partnership
Tuesday 8th December - Grade 10 (Class 2018) Empowerment Day: Theme ‘Perseverance’
Friday 18th December - Last day of term

Friday 16 October 2015

9: Friday 16th October 2015

From the Director 


I would like to remind all parents to check details in each section for the Early Closure Day next Monday (19th October).

I am going to be out of school next week as part of a CIS Team visiting a school in Bogota. I will of course be in regular contact with school at all times and Stephen Spicer and Sharon Short will be here as usual. I want to remind you that the school needs your support on Saturday 24th October with the save the Children sponsored Race for Survival which is taking place at school. The focus of the event is to raise awareness of how we can help reduce infant mortality in our country. We would like a huge response from our community to show the ABC Cares about this issue. I know many students have bought the campaign T-shirt and we hope they will all come along with you, their parents, and support the event on Saturday from 8.30 am in the morning. Even if students have not bought a T-shirt we would still like you to come with them to join in the event. There will be many fun activities and relay races they can participate in and watch. If you can join us for the morning there will be parking at school but you will need a car pass to enter and we will be providing details on getting the car pass at the start of next week

As part of the Race for Survival there will be two traditional races of 2.8 km in length one for Secondary students and one for parents to participate in with medals! We hope you will encourage your son or daughter to participate in the student race if they like running and we hope many parents and staff will in the adult race! If you would like to register your interest in the adult race please e-mail Estefania Chacon at school. 

I would also like to remind you of the forthcoming Breast Cancer Awareness talk on Tuesday evening in the PAC which the whole ABC community is invited to attend. We will be addressing issues related to more traditional male cancers next month!

Thank you to the parents who attended the Coffee Morning with Licenciada Ana Maria de Portillo and myself on Wednesday morning. It was a very enjoyable event and an opportunity to share some ideas and opinions. All the issues raised will be discussed and feedback provided. I would like to remind parents that the school will never discuss an individual student in a negative manner in front of other parents without the express permission of the parents. I would like to remind parents that they should also not do so. The school is clear about its responsibilities to protect young people and minors in many ways and we expect our parent community to respect these laws.

Primary News

Dear Parents and Carers,

On the 19th October please remember we have our first early closure day for staff to plan the curriculum. Please note the following details.

11.25: Grades 7-12 depart (with Primary siblings - older students will go to the Primary classrooms to collect their brothers and sisters)

11.45: Grade 1-5 depart with siblings (Upper Primary students will collect their younger siblings from the classroom and take them to the car park for collection)

12.15: Pre-Kinder - normal collection arrangements apply for those children without siblings

12.45: Kinder - normal collection arrangements apply for those children without siblings

12.45: Prepa - leaving 30 minutes earlier than normal, unless they have older siblings

It will be very helpful if the oldest students in your household know exactly which car park they will be collected from so please discuss this in detail at home.

The Save the Children Primary activity was very successful last Friday. Lots of students wore their own clothes, received a ring pop and raised $842 towards our cause, which is supporting premature babies with hearing loss. Of course there is still a long way to go to reach our goal of $5,800 to buy the hearing machine and we are hoping for a very good turnout on Saturday 24th October for the Race for Survival. It will start at 8.30 and continue until 12.30. There will be lots of fun activities even if you are not running yourself. So please come along for a great family morning. Take a look at the presentation prepared by our grade 5 students here;

Please note that in our continuing efforts to raise the funds for this machine we will be having donation buckets at class assemblies until Christmas. There will be no particular expectation for you to make a donation, it is completely voluntary, but if you feel that you can, it will be most appreciated and will speed up our progress towards our target.

The Grade 1 entry point for their next unit ‘Super Humans’ took place last Friday. the children were in the auditorium, on the field and on the basketball courts exploring their ‘super powers’. Some were climbing ropes, some doing yoga, some learning a martial art and some beginning cricket. Everyone was learning and having a very good time. Continuing on from ‘You are what you eat’ the students will be learning more about how their miraculous bodies work in this unit.

The Grade 1 curriculum night was another great success and rounded off the curriculum nights for Lower Primary. Thank you to those parents who attended and to the Grade 1 team for their hard work in preparing the evening. (Or were they just having fun dressed as ‘Super Heroes’?) At each of the curriculum nights I have spoken to parents about the Learning Support Unit to ensure everyone knows that there is support available for students who are experiencing learning challenges. Our three fully qualified psychologists are able to provide different levels of support to coincide with the level of need the student may have. They work in co-operation with the class teachers and parents. They also work in co-operation with outside agencies such as therapists and psychologists.

We have noted that quite a few students are arriving late for school at the moment. Please note the times your child should be in school by:

Pre-K and Kinder 7.30 am
Prepa to 5th Grade 7.10 am for registration at 7.15 am

We will be speaking to those families who are consistently late to help them review their schedules.

Best wishes,

Sharon Short
Head of Primary

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
October
Monday 19th: Early Closure for 1st Grade, Upper Primary and Secondary
Monday 19th Lower primary UN continues
Friday 23rd: First Sullivan Assembly 7:30am PAC
Friday 30th: First Rivera Assembly 7:30am PAC
Friday 30th Half term begins
Monday 9th November Return to school 

Upper Primary
October
Monday 19th: Early Closure for Upper Primary and Secondary
Wednesday 21st: 4th Linares Assembly at 9.20 and 12.15 PAC
Monday 26th - Friday 30th: UN Week
Friday 30th: UN food fair
Wednesday 28th: 3rd Pattenden Assembly at 9.20 and 12.15 PAC
Friday 30th Half term begins
Monday 9th November Return to school 

Secondary News

Grade 6 Empowerment Day and Early Closure - Monday 19th October
Please be reminded that on Monday 19th of October the school is closing early for staff to plan the curriculum. At 11.25am Grades 7 to 12 will depart (older students with Primary siblings should go to the Primary classrooms to collect their brothers and sisters) and the Grade 6s will remain in school, along with the Grade 12 students that are mentors to Grade 6 students, for their empowerment day on the theme ‘Friendship and Team Building’. 

Grade 6 students, and the Grade 12 students that are remaining in school to help, will be treated to a free school lunch from the Cafeteria.

Grade 6 parents please make the necessary arrangements for your child to be collected at 5.00pm on this day. 

As mentioned in last week’s ABC Weekly, on the empowerment days students should come to school wearing their PE uniform, with proper sports shoes. They should also bring with them a towel and a change of clothes. 

Art Trip meeting - Monday 19th October
On Monday at 5.00pm there is a meeting to discuss the final details of the impending Art trip to Amsterdam and Paris (Thursday 29th October to Saturday 7th November). This looks set to be a wonderful experience, with our students, among other things, visiting the Van Gogh, Louvre and Orsay museums. 

Grade 11 Careers Day & the 7th Annual University Fair - Thursday 22nd of October
The ABC Careers Day for Grade 11 students will take place next Thursday (the 22nd of October). For our students, this day is a window into the future world of professional careers and universities. Students start with an official presentation by the United Kingdom Embassy on the topic of ‘Studying in the UK’ and what academic options there are for ABC students.

Students are required to dress in formal attire to add to the feeling of professionalism that should be inherent to the search of a university and course of study that is the right fit for them. With university options in mind, they will move on to a carousel of career talks by professionals actively working in their fields of expertise. Grade 11 students were asked to select 6 career options they would like to know about, and from those choices they will be assigned 4 options that range from medicine, law and engineering, to culinary arts, communications, marketing and psychology, among others.

On the same day, the ABC will also be hosting the 7th Annual University Fair from 10.00am to 3.30pm in the ABC Auditorium. 30 plus institutions from the UK, USA, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador will be represented. Grade 11 students will take turns visiting the fair to have a look at the many university opportunities; Grade 9, 10 and 12 students will also be scheduled to participate at specific times. Parents are also invited to attend, and we hope for your support.

We will be joined by other schools in this event - the American, Panamericana, Livingston and International schools have confirmed their participation. 

It will be a day to celebrate academic life. It will be a day for students to envision themselves in their professional future. 

“ADHD at school”- workshop for parents and students
As part of "ABC Cares" and Parent Partnership, under our Learning Unit Support, we have invited Lic. Marta Gomez, who is a Life Coach and leading specialist in ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) to run a workshop on "ADHD at school." 

We believe in the importance of working hand in hand for the well-being of our youth and hence we have offered one session for parents in order to address the best way we can support our children and another one for students who are already working with our LSU. Having said that, the workshops are open to all parents and all students. The workshop will focus on understanding how ADHD works and applying effective strategies for home and school. We believe that the educational and personal experience of the students will improve as a result of participation in this workshop. 

Workshop for parents:
Date: Wednesday, October 21st 
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Venue: PAC
The talk will be given in Spanish.

Workshop for students: 
Date: Thursday, October 22nd
Time: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Venue: PAC
The talk will be given in Spanish

If you want your child to attend, please contact Alexandra Novoa in the LSU (alexandranovoa@abc-net.edu.sv)

A round-up of the week
  • Breast Cancer Awareness Talk: As it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in conjunction with our ‘100 Healthy Days’, on Monday Dr. Cecilia de Monroy, leading clinical oncologist, addressed our Grade 10, 11 & 12 girls on the topic of breast cancer in a special assembly. Please be reminded that parents, and the wider community, are invited to a talk on the topic of breast cancer by Dr. Cecilia de Monroy on Tuesday 20th of October (from 6.00pm in the PAC).
  • PSAT: On Wednesday Grade 9, 10 & 11 students sat the PSAT examinations. The PSAT is a great way to preview and practice for the SAT as they test the same skills and knowledge as the SAT.
  • PAES - Class of 2016: On Wednesday and Thursday the Grade 12s were off timetable to sit the PAES examinations. The feedback from students is very encouraging and we look forward to receiving the results. 
  • Shoeing Campaign: All week the ABC Shoeing Team have been collecting used shoes for people in need in El Salvador. The team have now extended the campaign until Friday 23rd of October to give the ABC community more time to contribute to this worthy cause. 
Grade 6s with their donations for the Shoeing Campaign. 

Save the Children ‘Race for Survival’ - Saturday 24th of October. 
The Grade 9 students have continued this week (as have the Grade 5s in Primary) to work hard preparing for the upcoming Save the Children ‘Race for Survival’. Race for Survival packs have been on sale all week - the packs, costing $10, include a t-shirt, bandana, ticket for free cake and two tickets for the event (one for the water slide and another for a free sponge throw at a teacher). Friday was the last day to purchase a t-shirt. Students can wear their Race for Survival t-shirt (with jeans) every Friday after half term until the end of term. 

We hope you will be able to join us next Saturday for what looks set to be a really exciting event (from 8.30am to 12.30pm).

All the best,

Stephen Spicer
Head of Secondary

Secondary dates for your diary
Monday 19th October: Early Closure Day for Secondary students
Monday 19th to Friday 23rd October: Astronomy Week
Monday 19th October: Grade 6 (Class 2022) Empowerment Day: Theme ‘Friendship and team building’ 
Monday 19th October: Art Trip meeting, 5.00pm
Thursday 22nd October: Careers Day for Class of 2017 and University Fair for Grades 9 to 12
Friday 23rd October: ABC Founder’s Day
Saturday 24th October: Save the Children ‘Race for Survival’
Monday 26th October: UN Week
Thursday 29th October to Saturday 7th November: Art trip to Amsterdam and Paris
Monday 2nd - Friday 6th November: HALF TERM HOLIDAY
Monday 9th November: British Fortnight begins
Saturday 14th November: MathCounts internal ABC competition
Friday 20th November: Guy Fawkes Party and Christmas Fair
Saturday 21st November: Grade 11 (Class 2017) Empowerment Day: Theme ‘Unity’
Monday 23rd November: Recycling Week
Tuesday 8th December: Grade 10 (Class 2018) Empowerment Day: Theme ‘Perseverance’

Friday 9 October 2015

8: Friday 9th October 2015

From the Director 



I want to start this week by congratulating the ABC Archery Team for participating in and winning the LIV Juegos Estudiantiles National Schools Archery Competition this week. You can see more details and their photo on the ABC ROCs in Action blog

I hope you have had an enjoyable week with time to enjoy with your children. It is important that in our busy lives we find time to spend with our children. I am hoping the ABC Family is going to turn out in their hundreds on Saturday 24th October at 8.30 am when we are hosting the Save the Children Race for Survival. We would like as many children as possible to buy the Save the Children T shirt, come along and support the event where they will be able to play games and have fun. The aim of the event is to raise awareness about the number of newborn babies that die in our country and what we can do to help. We want our children to understand how they can help make a difference. please encourage your children to participate!

On Wednesday 14 October at 8.30 am I will be hosting a coffee event with the Chair of the Board Lic. Ana Maria de Portillo where we will talk about some current issues and also offer you the opportunity to ask some questions. It is a forum where we get a chance to communicate and listen openly to each other. 

As it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in conjunction with it being the ABC’s ‘100 Healthy Days’, we have invited Dr. Cecilia de Monroy, leading clinical oncologist, to talk to parents and wider community on the topic of breast cancer on Tuesday 20th of October (from 6.00pm in the PAC).


Dr. Cecilia de Monroy will also be addressing our Grade 10-12 girls on this topic in a special assembly on Monday 12th of October.

Please note we have now added the Calendar dates for the following school year. They are on the Parents link on the school website. They are also now on the school calendar. https://sites.google.com/a/abc-net.edu.sv/information-for-prospective-parents/prospectus/main-dates

You will find details of the early closure day on Monday 19th October in each of the relevant sections. Have a nice weekend. 

Primary News

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you to those of you who attended the Kinder and Prepa Curriculum nights. I hope you enjoyed the events as much as I did. The staff presented very active and informative evenings for us all to take part in. Thank you to each grade team for all their hard work and preparation.Thank you too to the Madres Enlace for the delicious refreshments.

As mentioned 2 weeks ago, students left in the car park at 2.15 will be taken to PASS club in the Jubilee Library unless they have an older sibling they are happy to wait with. Apparently one or two of you missed this notice and were rude to our staff when you eventually collected them. It is not acceptable for our students to be waiting around for half an hour and it is also not acceptable for the school to leave them unsupervised. The staff duties finish at 2.15 and then staff have other meetings to attend. Therefore the sensible option is to take them to PASS club. Please collect your children promptly!

On Friday 9th October the school held a non-uniform day for all pupils. This was to raise money for Save the Children. Save the Children are working in El Salvador to try and reduce the level of infant mortality. Our school is working specifically to support premature babies who are susceptible to hearing problems. We are trying to raise $5,800 to buy a particular machine that helps deaf premature babies hear. The students were invited to come in their own clothes for $2. They received a pacifier sweet in return to remind them of the cause they are supporting. Our Grade 5s and their Grade Leader Mr Hayward are heavily involved in organising a series of events to help reach the school goal. Please support them with this by sending your child in with two dollars. (LP $2 per family)It is a very worthwhile goal and will make a significant difference.

The PASS club has been very crowded with students just going there to play on the computers. This club is specifically for students who have not been collected, for students waiting for an extra that starts at 3pm and for students who would like help with their homework. Please do not just let your child stay there because they want to. However, in response for the demand to have a free choice computer session we are organising an additional UP computer extra, details of which will be sent out to UP shortly.

















On Wednesday our pens and pencils had the day off as we celebrated "No Pen Day". Rather than writing or drawing, the children showed their learning through speaking, listening and movement. They enjoyed a variety of activities both inside and outside, including debates, role plays, practical activities and games. Our pens and pencils came back to work on Thursday, but speaking, listening and movement will continue to play an important part in our learning.

On the 19th October we have first early closure day for staff to plan the curriculum. Please note the following details.
11.25: Grades 7-12 depart (with Primary siblings - older students will go to the primary classrooms to collect their brothers and sisters)
11.45: Grade 1-5 depart with siblings (Upper primary students will collect their younger siblings from the classroom and take them to the car park for collection)
12.15: Pre Kinder - normal collection arrangements apply
12.45: Kinder - normal collection arrangements apply.
12.45: Prepa - leaving 30 minutes earlier than usual

It will be very helpful if the oldest students in your household know exactly which carpark they will be collected from so please discuss this in detail at home.

Have a lovely weekend and we look forward to seeing you all next week.

Sharon Short
Head of Primary

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
October
Monday 9th: Early Closure for Upper Primary and Secondary
Tuesday 13th: First Grade Curriculum Night 6:00pm PAC
Friday 16th: Prepa Taylor Spanish Assembly 7:30am PAC
Friday 23rd: First Sullivan Assembly 7:30am PAC
Friday 30th: First Rivera Assembly 7:30am PAC

Upper Primary
October
Friday 9th: Primary extra-curricular classes 1st session finishes
Monday 12th: Primary extra-curricular classes 2nd session begins
Wednesday 14th: 5th Guzman Assembly at 9.20 and 12.15 PAC
Wednesday 21st: 4th Linares Assembly at 9.20 and 12.15 PAC
Monday 26th - Friday 30th: UN Week
Friday 30th: UN food fair
Wednesday 28th: 3rd Pattenden Assembly at 9.20 and 12.15 PAC

Secondary News

Grade 6 Empowerment Day and early closure - Monday 19th October
On Monday 19th of October we have our first empowerment day of the academic year. The first empowerment day is for the Grade 6 students and has the theme ‘Friendship and team building’. 

The subsequent empowerment days, with the exception of Grade 11, coincide with the school early closure/staff planning days to minimise disruption to curriculum time. These empowerment days have the following themes:
  • November 21st - Grade 11 ‘Unity’
  • December 8th - Grade 10 ‘Perseverance’
  • February 9th - Grade 9 ‘Stereotypes and labels’
  • April 28th - Grade 7 ‘Ássertiveness and independence’
  • May 20th - Grade 8 ‘Ethical and moral choices’
On Monday 19th October the Secondary School’s classes will end after Period 4 (at 11.25am) and students will leave for the day. The Grade 6 students will remain in school for the empowerment day, along with the Prefects that are working with the Grade 6 tutor groups, and the students will enjoy a free lunch from the ABC cafeteria. 

The empowerment activities for the Grade 6s will start at 12.00pm, after the students have had their lunch from the cafeteria, and will then continue until 5.00pm. Grade 6 parents, please make the necessary arrangements for your child to be collected at 5.00pm on this day. 

On the empowerment days students should come to school wearing their PE uniform, with proper sports shoes. They should also bring with them a towel and a change of clothes. 

Tribal Chief Elections
Thank you to the students that stood in the recent Tribal Chief Elections. The results were close, but the new Tribal Chiefs are:
  • Maya - Raquel Isart and Daniel Garcia
  • Pipiles - Camila Guzmán and José Antonio Palomo
  • Inca - Carlos Guerrero and Maria Fernanda Arteaga
  • Aztecs - Andrés López and Ana Lucía Zablah
Congratulations Raquel, Daniel, Camila, José, Carlos, Maria, Andrés and Lucia.

The Tribal Chief role is to enthusiastically represent their tribes and help organise school events. Tribal Chiefs are expected to set an example to the younger students and to embody the ABC values. 

PAES - Class of 2016
On Wednesday (14th of October) and Thursday (15th of October) next week the Grade 12s will be off timetable to sit the PAES examinations. 

Thank you to all the ABC staff that have have been tirelessly preparing our students for these examinations.

Grade 7 & 8 Know Your School - Thursday 15th October
We look forward to seeing the Grade 7 & 8 parents at next week’s Know Your School event. The evening will start at 5.30pm with a presentation to parents in the PAC. Part of the presentation will be on the theme ‘staying safe’. After the presentation there will be the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress with their subject teachers in the Auditorium. 

Shoeing Campaign
Please be reminded that from October 12th to October 16th the ABC Shoeing Team will be collecting used shoes for people in need in El Salvador. Students, parents and teachers can donate shoes of any size. All next week there will be boxes in the car parks where shoes can be deposited. 

Students and teachers are invited to, in the words of the Shoeing Campaign organisers, wear ‘crazy’ socks on Monday 12th of October to launch the campaign and to show support this cause.


Colour Run - money raised
The recent Colour Run made an impressive profit of $1,466.82, which will shortly be making its way to deserving local charities. 

Thank you again to all the students, staff, parents and sponsors that made this such an enjoyable and memorable event.

I hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

Kind regards,

Stephen Spicer
Head of Secondary

Secondary dates for your diary
Monday 12th - Friday 16th October: Shoeing Campaign week
Monday 12th October: ‘crazy’ socks day
Wednesday 14th October - Thursday 15th October: PAES exams for Class 2016 
Thursday 15th October: Grade 7 & 8 Know Your School meetings - 5:30pm PAC
Monday 19th October: Early Closure Day for secondary
Monday 19th - Friday 23rd October - Astronomy Week
Monday 19th October: Grade 6 (Class 2022) Empowerment Day - theme ‘Friendship and team building’. 
Thursday 22nd October - Careers Day for Class 2017 and University Fair for Grade 9-12
Friday 23rd October - ABC Founder’s Day
Saturday 24th October - Save the Children Run Event
Mondary 26th October - UN Week
Monday 2nd - Friday 6th November: HALF TERM HOLIDAY
Monday 9th November - British Fortnight begins
Saturday 14th November - Mathscounts Internal ABC competition
Friday 20th November - Guy Fawkes party and Christmas Fair
Saturday 21st November - Grade 11 (Class 2017) Empowerment Day - Theme ‘Unity’
Monday 23rd November - Recycling Week
Tuesday 8th December: Grade 10 (Class 2018) Empowerment Day - Theme ‘Perseverance’

Friday 2 October 2015

7: Friday 2nd October 2015

From the Director 

I hope you and you children have had a good week in and around school in a week where there have been many opportunities to be involved in the life of the school.

As you may be aware the ABC has recently joined the Latin American Heads Conference (LAHC) and this week the school has been visited by Alan Downie the LAHC Executive Officer. We are looking forward to working with LAHC on helping the school share best practices with other schools in Latin America and continue to develop in line with best international practice. Like us, most of the schools in LAHC are British style international schools with bilingual programmes.

You may be aware that we are now offering early morning swimming in school to increase training opportunities. Can I please remind everyone of the importance of student sleep each night as well as having breakfast before school.We do offer breakfast at school and we hope that as parents you are monitoring the amount of sleep your son or daughter is having. 

I am aware that there have been some issues relating to the wet weather of the last few weeks and we are doing all we can to ensure that our campus is completely safe when wet. I would like to ask that you remind your children to be more careful in the wet but we will be looking at our facilities. 

I would like to remind you to organise an appointment with Estefania Chacon if a member of your family, or a friend, is interested in joining Pre Kinder next year. We only have a limited number of places. Please go to the admissions tab on our website for further information

We have seen parents of students beginning their journeys in both Primary and Secondary with the Pre-Kinder curriculum night and the Grade 6 Parent Partnership and Parent teacher meetings. We cannot over stress the importance of these meetings. It is vital that we talk to each other and work together with a shared understanding of our vision for a successful year. We hope to see many more parents at the forthcoming meetings for Kinder and Grades 9 and 11 next week. 

We have been finalising our calendar for next year and there are some changes to the normal school year following discussions with various groups. We are proposing that in August 2016 our first day of school will be on the Monday the 22nd August instead of the previous Thursday. we are also trying to build a few extra days breaks especially in the long second term to ensure students get more breaks. Research shows this is important in terms of encouraging a positive attitude and academic success. As a result the school year will finish a week later than our existing model. In practical terms the school year 2016/17 will end on Friday 23rd June. The proposed calendar for the year can be seen in a visual form on the ABC Newsblog. Dates will soon be posted on the main calendar.

On Monday 19th October we are having our first early closure day for Upper Primary and Secondary to provide time for us to work with staff on planning and preparation for the work coming later this term. As a result students will be leaving school at the following times and we ask for your cooperation in organising a pick up. 

11.25: Grades 7-12 depart (with Primary siblings)
11.45: Grade 1-5 depart with siblings
12.15: Pre Kinder
12.45 Kinder and Prepa

Primary News

Dear Parents and Carers,

On Monday we had the culmination of the independence month with a whole Primary School Assembly. The students and staff looked fantastic in National Dress or blue and white clothes. It was all very colourful. The local band was great, dancing and playing at the same time. We all sang the National Anthem for El Salvador, the flags were paraded around the auditorium and some of our students performed a traditional dance with tons of energy and movement. It was a great finale for the month.

Thank you to the Primary Spanish Department for all the preparation and hard work they put in, to make the event a success.


Tuesday evening was the Pre-Kinder curriculum night and parents had the opportunity to learn more about the Pre-K curriculum and children’s development. The Pre-K team had produced a very nice video showing the students learning and explained what was going on in each section. Afterwards the parents were able to try out activities for themselves in the new classrooms. I saw some parents concentrating very hard and some obviously relishing the chance to get stuck into things they remembered from their own childhood. Others took the chance to explore both under and on top of the mezzanine. English books and items for activities at home were on sale and delicious refreshments were provided. The evening was a great success. Thank you to everyone who came and everyone who contributed to the event.

Also on Tuesday we had a rainforest appear in the grade 2 corridor as part of the introduction to their new unit of work ‘Save the World’ next week. It just appeared like magic overnight and the students were astounded when they arrived on Tuesday morning. Later in the day they mentioned to me that some of their own toys were there. I asked them how they got into school and they had no idea. So a big thank you to the Magic Elves and their helpers who made it happen.


On Wednesday 2nd Brook shared their talents with us in assembly. Their talents are wide and varied and they all demonstrated creativity, confidence and some courage. They were indeed awesome (which was one of the banners they were holding up).

On Thursday it was children’s day and the students did think they might get away with doing no work. They were a little disappointed because it was mainly business as usual in school but LP enjoyed their entertainer and all the students enjoyed the refreshments provided by our Madres Enlace and their team of parents.

Last week Grade 1, with a little help from PIMI, made pizza each day and delicious smells have been wafting down the corridors. I have felt hungry all week! This was the exit point for their unit ‘We are what we eat’. Earlier in the week dentist Tia Li had also been in to talk about nutrition with the students.

Friday was ‘The Big Draw’ when students recorded their work through drawing rather than through writing. It really helps the students to think about drawing as a form of communication and sets the teachers a challenge as well to design learning activities with a drawing focus or outcome. Please ask your children what they did yesterday. 

As a lead up to this we were lucky enough to have a cartoonist from a newspaper working with some of our students and the Primary Art department. They are preparing a mural for the grade 2 playground wall. I can’t wait to see it when it is done. Finally we had some Grade 9s working with the students in Art on Friday too.

Friday was also the official Grade 2 entry point. The students dressed up as animals you might see in the rainforest and thought about how to look after a rainforest, as well as what would happen to their homes if the rainforest was destroyed.

As you can see it has been another amazing week at the ABC and our students have enjoyed a wide range of learning opportunities - I wonder what next week holds in store for us? Here is a quick rundown.
  • Parent three way conferences start for Upper Primary. This is when students get the chance to explain and demonstrate their learning to their parents.
  • It is the turn of Kinder parents to find out more about their children’s curriculum and learning on Tuesday evening.
  • Thursday evening Prepa parents are in the PAC for some insight into what their children will be doing this year.
  • The extraordinary and very exciting Class Assemblies continue.
Please keep an eye on the school calendar and check the dates below for information on exact dates and times.

Sharon Short
Head of Primary 

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
October
Tuesday 6th: Kinder Curriculum Night 6:00pm PAC
Thursday 8th: Prepa Curriculum Night 6:00pm PAC
Friday 9th: First Padilla Assembly 7:30am PAC
Tuesday 13th: First Grade Curriculum Night 6:00pm PAC
Friday 16th: Prepa Taylor Spanish Assembly 7:30am PAC
Friday 23rd: First Sullivan Assembly 7:30am PAC
Friday 30th: First Rivera Assembly 7:30am PAC

Upper Primary
October
Parent and Student conferences begin week beginning Monday 5th October
Wednesday 7th: 5th grade Spanish Assembly
Friday 9th: Primary extra-curricular classes 1st session finishes
Monday 12th: Primary extra-curricular classes 2nd session begins
Wednesday 14th: 5th Guzman Assembly at 9.20 and 12.15 PAC
Wednesday 21st: 4th Linares Assembly at 9.20 and 12.15 PAC
Monday 26th - Friday 30th: UN Week
Friday 30th: UN food fair
Wednesday 28th: 3rd Pattenden Assembly at 9.20 and 12.15 PAC

Secondary News

Theatre Week
Throughout the week we have had numerous performances and activities as part of our Theatre Week. 

Each day we have shown theatrical videos at break, lunch and after school; made different puppets; and, students have been participating in the Tribal Challenge ‘Who Said That?’ - a challenge in which students had to solve puzzles on the pillars in front of the LRC (and in doing so they earnt Tribal Points). 

On Monday KS3 students (Grades 6 to 8) saw the play The Wolf and the Three Little Pigs - an adaptation of the traditional tale in a Salvadoran context.


On Tuesday the KS4 and IB students (Grades 9 to 12) were treated to a performance of "La Fiesta". 


On Wednesday we played improvisation games at the Cafeteria at lunch time - students pulled a prompt from a hat and then had to improvise. Thursday was a human statue tribal challenge. On Friday the week ended with lunch time performances by students in character singing songs from movies and musicals, including ‘Hard Knock Life’ (Annie) and ‘Memory’ (Cats).

Thank you to everyone and especially the Performing Arts and Languages departments who have contributed to Theatre Week.

Cancer Awareness Months - October and Movember 
On Thursday students in ABC ACTUA launched the Cancer Awareness Months of October and Movember (moustache November). Below is a plea from ABC ACTUA:

Let's commemorate the coming months of October and Movember, The Crusade Against Cancer. Students in ABC ACTUA have taken this crusade very seriously, because this fight CAN not only touch lives, but also save lives as well. This group of volunteers will work both months to promote healthy living habits, and provide important information on the prevention and treatment of cancer for both men and women. During this month we would like to invite all members of the ABC Family to participate in the AVON WALK El Salvador on Sunday 25th of October, 7:00am in Santa Elena. ABC ACTUA volunteers will be selling kits for $8.00 during lunch. We encourage grade levels, friends, families and neighbours to participate in this massive event that takes place all over the world thanks to the AVON Foundation.


This annual event collects funds for the improvement of the Cancer Institute of El Salvador, a private institution, founded in 1965 with its mission to Prevent, Diagnose, and Treat Cancer of Salvadorans who are not part of the Social Health System, which is 70% of the population, but are being treated. With your help, these cancer patients will receive dignified treatments and free mammograms during the month of October. 

Thank you so much for your help,

ABC Actúa
Sandra Sol Wilson
ABC Actua Coordinator 

Sara Daniella Bright Funes
Student Coordinator

During October there will be a number of events/ways to support this initiative:
  1. Pink ribbons will be distributed to all Secondary students and teachers as a reminder of this month's efforts to take care of our health - from Thursday, October 1st.
  2. From the week commencing 5th of October healthy habits -do not smoke, eat healthily, exercise regularly, use sunscreen and drink plenty of water- will be shown on the TV screens around the school and on Secondary Vista. 
  3. All ABC athletic teams will be encouraged to wear pink shoelaces to support the ABC ACTUA’s campaign “We should all be supporting the Crusade Against Cancer” - during the month of October.
  4. The ABC family is encouraged to participate in the AVON Walk
  5. Everyone is invited to come and visit the ABC ACTUA’s kiosk to buy pink bracelets, pins, key holders, water bottles etc. All proceeds will be donated to the Cancer Institute of El Salvador - during lunch time in October and November (in November, ‘Movember’, blue key chains will be sold).
Shoeing Campaign
From October 12th to October 16th the ABC Shoeing Team will be collecting used shoes for people in need in El Salvador. Students, parents and teachers can donate shoes of any size. During this time there will be boxes in the car parks where shoes can be deposited. 


Know Your School 
On Thursday 1st of October we had the Grade 6 Know Your School Evening. The evening started with a talk in the PAC, part of which explored internet safety. Among other things, parents were advised to keep their children safer online by being familiar with the technology and applications that they use to talk with one another. We encourage parents to:
  • Know who their child/ren is communicating with online.
  • Open a family e-mail account to share with younger children.
  • Work with their child/ren to brainstorm screen names and e-mail addresses that do not contain information about gender, identity, or location, and that avoid being suggestive.
  • Teach their child/ren never to open e-mails from unknown senders and to use settings on IM programs to block messages from people they do not know.
  • Be aware of other ways their child/ren may be going online - with cell phones, laptops, from friends’ homes etc.
  • Tell their child/ren not to share passwords with anyone but them to help avoid identity theft and cyberbullying.
  • Familiarise themselves with popular acronyms.
On Monday 5th of October we have the Grade 9 & 11 Know Your School Evening. As these grades are embarking on their examination years (Grade 9 IGCSE and Grade 11 IB) we are going to look at the theme of transition and the skills/qualities that students need to develop to succeed in their IGCSEs (Grade 9-10) and IB Diploma (Grade 11-12).

Children’s Day - Thursday 1st of October 
In recognition of Children’s Day on Thursday this week we explored the convention on the rights of the child. In registration time students discussed how these rights are important for them, for children around the world and how we, as a community, can work together to promote and ensure the respect for these rights. 

Stephen Spicer
Head of Secondary

Secondary dates for your diary
Saturday 3rd October: Dale Carnegie course starts
Monday 5th October: Grade 9 & 11 Know Your School meetings - 5:30pm PAC
Wednesday 14th October - Thursday 15th October: PAES exams for Class 2016 
Thursday 15th October: Grade 7 & 8 Know Your School meetings - 5:30pm PAC
Monday 19th - Friday 23rd October - Astronomy Week
Thursday 22nd October - Careers Day for Class 2017 and University Fair for Grade 9-12
Friday 23rd October - ABC Founder’s Day
Saturday 24th October - Save the Children Run Event
Mondary 26th October - UN Week
Monday 2nd - Friday 6th November: HALF TERM HOLIDAY
Monday 9th November - British Fortnight begins
Saturday 14th November - Mathscounts Internal ABC competition
Friday 20th November - Guy Fawkes party and Christmas Fair
Saturday 21st November - Empowerment Day for Class 2017 (Grade 11)
Monday 23rd November - Recycling Week