From the Director
As we approach the end of this first half term of the school year I would like to encourage a period of reflection by contributing my thoughts regarding the start of the school year.
Overall we have generally been very pleased with the way school has started this year. I hope that you as parents feel you have has good opportunities to meet your children’s teachers and you know what is expected at home to complement the work we are doing in school. I sense a real sense of community around school amongst the children, the teachers and the parents. We continually work hard to ensure our youngsters feel safe and comfortable at school. Their emotional wellbeing is important to us particularly as we know that good learning requires happy children! As parents you ensure your children arrive ready for school after a good night sleep and some breakfast in the morning. We make sure we are ready to provide them with learning activities in a safe and engaging environment. I feel we are all doing well in this respect. My one point of reflection here would be the stress some children feel when they arrive late and their day gets off to a stressful start. Yesterday as I walked around the traffic coming into school I noted that any car arriving at the traffic queue before 6.50 am was able to drop their Secondary children off on time. If you arrive any later than 6.50 am then your secondary child is in danger of arriving late. Equally Upper Primary parents need to be joining the traffic queue before 7.05 am and our youngest children by 7.15 am. We want all of our children to be in school on time for two reasons. The first is that we want everyone to be present for the start of the day so we can begin working together but secondly, punctuality is an important trait which we want to encourage and develop in the future generations.
I would also like to add some reflection on our involvement in sports at school. We are delighted to see so many children playing sport before, during and after school. As I walk around the field after 2 o’clock I see so much enthusiasm and energy from our students and I see our coaches in action. Our Team Sports programmes has never been so popular. We are also seeing many students representing the school in competitions and we are looking forward to the Bilingual League events coming up. The Bilingual League is important to us and as parents we want you to be involved too! Reflecting further on our sports programme and talking to our PE and Team Sports we would like to urge that children are consistent in their participation. It is important they come along to as many of the training sessions as possible. We would also like to urge that they participate in school based swimming activities, appreciate the fun of swimming and the importance of being safe in water.
I do feel that we as a community do understand the importance of us working together in the best interests of our children. We have a responsibility to be good role models to them at all times including in helping them learn punctuality! I was reminded of the power of role models to influence our children when we had some amazing speeches by exabrits who participated in Secondary Careers Day yesterday. I was so proud seeing them talk about their university and career choices especially as I remembered some of them from their time in school. It was amazing to hear their stories and to hear about their reflections on how the ABC had helped them develop. All of us, parents, teachers, school staff, ex students and indeed our whole community share the responsibility of helping develop a generation of responsible outstanding citizens for this country. Have a nice weekend!
Primary News
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are very sorry to announce that Isa Brennes, one of our long standing and highly respected teachers will be retiring at the end of next week. Isa has been with the school for many years and taught many of our current students and many who have now left the school and are out in the wider world. We know she has had an impact on many lives. I am sure you will join me in wishing her well at this new phase of her life.
We have carried out a lunch box audit this week and to be frank we were concerned at the level of sugar contained in them. Excess of sugar can lead to a variety of illnesses in later life as well as damaging teeth. It also stops children focussing on their learning during the day. In fact I don’t know anything that sugar does that is good for the body! Many health conscious families are opting for sugar free diets these days and it is surprising how many manufactured foods have added sugar in them. Please do your own research and find out the level of sugar that is acceptable for children and remember many products that are targeted at children quote the adult daily recommendations on their labels. We found that many of our students had the full daily sugar allowance in one item in their lunch box. If you do not prepare your child’s lunchbox please educate the person responsible. We always hope to see fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grain carbohydrates for their slow energy release and some protein. This site may help to get you started on your research. http://www.familyeducation.com/life/sugar/are-we-too-sweet-our-kids-addiction-sugar
1st Henríquez assembly gave us some wonderful information about healthy and balanced diets this morning. Well done 1st Henriquez!
As mentioned last week our Primary Computing Team is proud to announce the participation of our 4th and 5th Grade teams in the Wonder League Robotics Competition. The competition started October 17th and will end December 15th. The students are very enthusiastic and are enjoying solving the different missions. Each week, one mission is revealed and the teams solve the coding challenges and building extensions to their Dash and Dot Robots using the Wonder App. We all wish them every success.
On the 28th October (next Friday) there will be the annual ‘Colour Run’ as a fundraiser for Save the Children. If you haven’t heard of this before, it is a very exciting event that our students participate in very enthusiastically but it is incredibly messy. We are having a non-uniform day that day when students can wear jeans and the Colour Run t-shirt but I strongly recommend that for the race itself the students bring old clothes to change into and have a pair of goggles to protect their eyes. As part of the race (or walk) the students have coloured powder (completely washable and made from flour ) to distribute as they go. The older students manage to get themselves covered in it and love every minute. The letters regarding buying the kit went out last week. For any of our younger students who would like to be involved but do not want to stay for the actual race itself we are planning an alternative activity at approximately 11.00 am in the Lower Primary area. It will still be messy and fun. For those students who do not want to participate in the run but would like to wear jeans and a T-shirt, they can, if they bring in a dollar.
Next week we will be having our UN week and I thought it would be interesting or us all to review the rights of the child agreement. See them here http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/files/uncrcchilldfriendlylanguage.pdf
This version is in child friendly language. There are still some children in El Salvador who do not have these basic rights and that is why as a school we work so hard to support a range of charities in the hope of making the difference to those children who are not as privileged as ours. Although it may seem a nuisance at times we must think how we would feel if it were our children who were suffering and how we would like others to respond.
At the end of each unit in the IPC the students are asked to reflect on what they have learned and make a judgement on the learning goals. They ask themselves ‘am I just beginning with this?’, ‘Have I started to get the hang of it and therefore I am developing?’ or ‘Am I confident in this skill and judge myself as mastering?’ Mastering does not mean they have got something completely in every last detail, that would be ‘mastered’ but it does mean they are in the process of being nearly there. A student in grade 5 can still be beginning a new skill as a child in Prepa can be mastering a skill they have practiced. The students are still learning the terms, beginning, developing and mastering. It would be lovely if you could have a conversation about this at home.
Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead.
Sharon Short
Head of Primary
Dates for your diary
Lower Primary
October
Monday 24th: 1st Gray trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 9:00am
Tuesday 25th: 1st Pineda trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 9:00am
Tuesday 25th: Kinder Curriculum night - 6:00pm - PAC
Wednesday 26th: 1st Henríquez trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 9:00am
Thursday 27th: 1st Padilla trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 9:00am
Friday 28th: Prepa Ware assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Friday 28th: Colour Run and Jeans day
November
Monday 31st - Friday 4th: Half term Holiday
Friday 18th: Guy Fawkes Evening & Christmas Fair 5:30pm onwards
Friday 18th: Guy Fawkes Evening & Christmas Fair 5:30pm onwards
Upper Primary
October
Wednesday 26th: 3rd Brenes Assembly 9:20 - 10:05 and 12:15 - 1:15 PAC
Friday 28th: Colour Run and Jeans day
Friday 28th: UP UN Celebration
November
Monday 31st Oct-Friday 4th Nov: Half term Holiday
Friday 18th: Guy Fawkes Evening & Christmas Fair 5:30pm onwards
Secondary News
Dear Secondary Parents and Carers,
Careers Day & University Fair
This years’ Careers Day was a very impressive event of great value to our Grade 11 students. The day was launched by four young Exabrits at various stages of their university educations here in El Salvador. Marcela García ‘11 (Escuela Superior de Economía y Negocios), Sara Bright ‘16 (Universidad Dr. José Matías Delgado), and Montserrat Chávez ‘16 (Escuela de Comunicación Mónica Herrera) shared their experiences of university life and study with the Grade 11s in an open forum and discussed the advantages of choosing to study in El Salvador rather than abroad. Marcela Garcia, who is approaching graduation from law school told the class that she and they were the generations who had the privilege of shaping the future of their country and the ability to ‘give back’ to El Salvador. She also shared her own and others’ experiences of studying abroad as part of their degree programmes where they realised that the quality of their degree studies in El Salvador was at least the equal of good universities in Europe and the United States. These were four impressive young people who demonstrated why they think the ABC is the best school in El Salvador!
Following this launch, in small groups, students had the chance to really interact with the representatives of various professions to ask questions about their chosen fields of work, including their personal professional practice. We would like to thank all those who so generously gave of their time to work with our students throughout the day.
Business & Economics, ESEN
Medicine, Médico Cirujano
ICT, ABC
Architecture, CEA Arquitectura
Marketing and Advertising, Grove Partnership/AGRISAL
Psychology, Uni. Dr. Matias Delgado/ professor
Chemical Engineering, Caribex
Fine Arts, Sculptor
Tourism and Hospitality Business, Laureate Education
Communications, Esc. Monica Herrera/ professor
Veterinary Medicine, Clínica Veterinaria Los Héroes
Marketing and Advertising, Uni. Dr.Matias Delgado/Professor
International Relations, Public Relations, UK Embassy
TV Producing and Presenting, Grupo Mass
Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management, SCARTS
Flight Pilot, CEA
Civil Engineering, Constructora BETON
Fashion Design, Diseñadora de Modas / Exabrit
Law, VP Romero Pineda & Asociados
Journalism, El Diario de Hoy
University Fair
On Careers Day we also hosted a Universities Fair where more than 30 institutions from the UK, USA, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador were represented by admission counselors, ready to engage students with their academic and scholarship offers. Students in Grade 9 through to 12 took turns visiting the fair to have a look at the many university opportunities, in accordance with a pre-established schedule; many of our parents came along to the fair, as well and became involved with their sons and daughters in this very important process of career and university planning. We also hosted other schools including Escuela Panamaricana, Colegio Lamatepec, Colegio Highlands, and Colegio Livingston who were able to take advantage of this opportunity.
Colour Run
We are all looking forward to the Colour Run next Friday which will follow an assembly celebrating United Nations Week and ABC’s global values. All funds raised through the Colour Run and Jeans Day next Friday will support Save the Children in El Salvador and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Please encourage your child to buy a Colour Run pack if they want to participate in this fun event.
Musicians
This is becoming a weekly event and a relaxing and enjoyable way for the audience to prepare for the weekend; I am enjoying it very much, thank you Music Department.
Important Reminder
We are always happy to meet with parents to discuss any aspects of your child’s education, however meetings can ONLY be by appointment to avoid disappointment when a teacher is in class. If you would like to meet with a member of staff please contact the Secondary Office:
Grades 6,7 & 8 Marielos Soto marielossoto@abc-net.edu.sv
Grades 9 & 10 Roxana Hall roxanahall@abc-net.edu.sv
Grades 11 & 12 Lissett Castro lissettcastro@abc-net.edu.sv
Secondary dates for your diary
October
Saturday 22nd: Student Council Training Day, Class of 2018 Empowerment Day & Geography IB Fieldwork Trip
Friday 28th: Colour Run
November
Saturday 12th: Geography IB Fieldwork Trip
Monday 14th: School photos will be taken during this week
Friday 18th: Guy Fawkes Evening & Christmas Fair 5:30pm onwards
No comments:
Post a Comment