Monday 18 December 2017

16: Friday 15th December 2017

From the Director

We have just had some excellent news from the IPC about our recent accreditation which you can read about in Sharon’s part of the newsletter.

I would like to take this final newsletter before Christmas to thank you for all of your contributions to this term. I cannot begin to list all the occasions this term which have been enriched by parental involvement. I can tell you that your involvement makes so much difference and inspires our children creating a safe sense of community for our children to grow up. It is vital that we as role models do help our children understand our values, the difference between right and wrong and that we respect each other. The Christmas season is an ideal opportunity for us in our families to continue being great role models for our children. For me the best thing about Christmas is seeing children getting excited about the holiday. This is evident of course in conversations with them but also in the Christmas events we have witnessed this week. The fun at Santa’s Fair, the Amazing Lower Primary shows and the Christmas concert last night. In all of these events the joy shown by the children participating has shone through. I am sure this will continue into your own family and community celebrations over the coming weeks. I would like to add my best wishes for a peaceful celebration with your families.

When we return to school on Monday 8th January we will be in 2018 and all of us should be looking forward to a new year. A new year brings new hope and I want to ask that all of us do our best to encourage our children to be optimistic and hopeful about the future. It is sometimes easy for us as adults to be negative about the world but we must remember the world is our children’s future and we have to share their hopes for a better tomorrow. I know so many of our children are doing their bit to make the word a better place and they need our genuine support. We will see an example of this determination with Operation Pupusa next week and with the ABC TED talks which many of our community are supporting. Please do come along next Wednesday if you have time. Information is available in this link. Soon after our return to school the Class of 2019 will be presenting their Cyanic, their Circus and we are all looking forward to their show. Please book the dates in your diary.

You should be receiving the 2016/17 ABC Yearly today, which we hope you will enjoy looking through over the holidays. If you are a parent or friend of a member of the Class of 2017 I am sure you will enjoy sharing the ABC Yearly with them. We have seen a number of them over the last few days in school and I would especially like to wish them a happy first Christmas after their graduation!

Please do have a Happy, peaceful Christmas and encourage and share your children’s hopes for the future. I look forward to seeing you all again next year.

Primary News

Dear Parents,

Well we made it to the end of the term! I feel it has been a long but very successful one. I know the students have really enjoyed their learning all term.

There have been several trips out in the last few days as part of the IPC units and it seemed the right thing to do when the children and teachers are so tired. Still giving learning opportunities but in fresh, new settings.

The Santa’s Festival and Lower Primary shows were a triumph this week. Many, many parents have complimented the staff and students for their hard work and said how much they enjoyed everything. It actually takes the teachers and the ‘Fairs to Educate’ committee weeks and weeks to organise such a successful event, and on top of their everyday work. They are often in school until late at night and so it is wonderful when all their hard work pays off. Thank you to everyone involved and to everyone who came.

We sent our mountain of Shoeboxes off on Thursday. They will be distributed among poor communities in our area. The Lower Primary Toys collected will be taken to local hospitals on Christmas Eve. We would like to thank all the children and parents who made these donations that will bring such happiness to the less fortunate children in El Salvador.

The Whole School Concert last night was very enjoyable and it was wonderful to see and hear the musical and vocal talents of our students from Lower Primary through to the IB music. Well done to all the students and teachers who took part.

I would like to wish you all a wonderful, happy, relaxing, safe and peaceful Christmas time and look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.


STOP PRESS! 

Just this morning our IPC accreditation report has come through. We are now an officially accredited IPC school. We can now use this logo on all of our school documents and become a focus for the IPC in Central America. Thank you to everyone who supported us through this process. 


Very best wishes,

Sharon Short
Head of Primary

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
8th January, 1st day back.
Monday 8th - Extra curricular activities starts, 3rd session
Friday 19th - Kinder Cáceres assembly - PAC - 7:45am
Friday 26th - Kinder Francés assembly - PAC 7:45am

Upper Primary
Saturday 6th - ABC Ski & Snowboard Trip to Mammoth, California.
Monday 8th- 1st day back.
Monday 8th - Extra curricular activities start, 3rd session
Wednesday 10th - UP Assembly - PAC - 9:20am & 12:15pm

Please note Ana Gloria Mena and Edda Padilla are Primary Safeguarding Officers

Secondary News

Dear Parents and carers,

We have finished our first term with a fantastic Tribal celebration and christmas spirit! 

What a term! I would like to thank each and every member of our incredible Staff for all their work and enthusiasm throughout the term! It is undoubtedly the fuel which keeps the ABC going and without their selfless and above and beyond commitment to the wellbeing and healthy development of our students. 

Portezuelo trip- G8
Last week we had a camping trip with the Class of 2022. The aim of this activity was to strengthen the sense of belonging and bonds of friendship amongst our students. It was a very rewarding experience during which the ABC Values were evident. During the day we hiked, and during these two hikes our students showed enthusiasm and resilience. The students also had the opportunity to play bubble soccer, practice horseback riding, play volleyball, skip the rope, get to know the process for the production of coffee, set up their camping tents, and sing karaoke. At night we had a bonfire and the presence of an unexpected guest, “La Mirtala” (local legend). All the students showed respect, effort, and enthusiasm during the two days of our trip. I want to thank all the parents for trusting our team with their children. Thank you to the teachers, the Madres enlace, and the parents who came with us on our camping trip. We all had an excellent experience in which we enjoyed and were able to demonstrate fellowship amongst ourselves. We can say with satisfaction: goal attained!

Here are some pictures we’d like to share with you: pictures.

Christmas boxes and Christmas baskets 
With the support of staff and parents, our students have engaged in many acts of charity this term. In this particular time, a huge THANK You must be given to all the community for bringing in gifts! They truly embody the spirit of Christmas. 



First day back- Punctuality and uniform
We ask that you help us raise the standards of punctuality and uniform next term. As we have previously mentioned in other weekly messages, this is one of the most important factors in school success. It allows a positive start to the day and ensures pupils are fully aware of the daily news and events which are taking place around school. Please help your children access their schooling opportunities fully by ensuring they arrive with plenty of time to go to their lockers and be in their tutor groups for a 7.00 am start. 

We must start the new year as we mean to go on. Uniform has been the subject of many conversations around school and at home. It is clear that the community thinks highly of the ABC school uniform so I ask your support in this matter. Unfortunately many of our children wear their shoes inappropriately by bending the back of their shoes in and wearing them flip-flop style. This is not acceptable so some students will perhaps need to purchase new footwear. I also respectfully ask parents to check how their children’s uniforms fit them during this break. As teenagers, they are growing rapidly and it is important their uniform fits appropriately for uniform length of skirts and trousers, Sports Shorts (not beach short length) as well as proper footwear. Thank you in advance for your support with this. 

I end my message with the message of Christmas: This for me is a message of hope and renewal, a message of light in our everyday and Goodwill for all. As Gandhi said, “you must be the change you want to see in this world”. What changes do you personally plan to make to see changes in our world?

Thank you for your continued support and I wish you, on behalf of all the staff in the Secondary School, a Merry Christmas and a very prosperous 2018!

See you in January!

Kind regards,

Natalia Cáceres Escalón 

Dates for your diary
January 2018
Monday 8th - First day of Term 2- Please be punctual for a 7.00 am start!
Friday 12th - Grade 6 Learning Review Day
Thursday 18th and Friday 19th - Class of 2019 CIRCUS- 6.00 pm; Auditorium
Friday 19th - Grade 7 Learning Review Day
Tuesday 23rd - G9 and G11 Parent Teacher Meetings 4.30 pm- 7.00 pm

Team Sports

TSP Basket ball
Friendly BKB game- Pre Mini (m) -
An exciting end of year game in the Pre Mini category
BeSport 8 - 10 ABC

TSP Equestrian
TSP wishes to congratulate Andrés Kenneth Rendón for winning the “Gran Torneo” Championship of table tennis organized by the Table Tennis Federation, Category U10.

TSP Note
Team Sports wishes to congratulate the team of teachers who are representing El Salvador in the “Central American Games Managua 2017”.
Technical staff of the women and men’s Hockey Team.
Assistant Coach of the men’s BKB team.
Cycling Team
President of the Handball Federation

Friday 8 December 2017

15: Friday 8th December 2017

From the Director

I am beginning this weekly meeting with an important message from the Board and myself following the recent girl’s uniform option trial.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Director of the ABC, we thank you for participating in the survey regarding optional uniforms for Secondary girls, your feedback is very important to us. We have agreed to keep the current uniform unchanged as detailed in our uniform and jewellery policy published in our website under the parent portal.

https://sites.google.com/a/abc-net.edu.sv/abc-policies-and-handbooks/Home/secondary-section/uniform-and-jewellery 

As we approach the last week of this term I would like to take this opportunity to thank my staff for all the work they have done. In my role I get to visit lots of classrooms and see children in so many different activities. I am always delighted by the energy and commitment of the teaching staff to their vocation but equally it is a pleasure to see how our children participate in their learning. We have had similar feedback from recent educational visitors to school and we are rightly proud of our positive learning environment. I also heard from the staff who joined the education visits to Portezuelo that our children behaved like ROCs and joined the activities with energy and enthusiasm.

As many of you will recall Virginia Catlin returned to the UK earlier this year because of her health. I am delighted to report that she has had some excellent news about her cancer. Her health is much improved and she is looking forward to returning to a more normal life. We are hoping she may even visit us here at school at some point in the future. It is encouraging to know she is making such a good recovery and I wanted to share the good news with many of you who knew her.

I have seen many children arriving at school with shoebox presents and I want to personally thank so many of you for your generosity.

I would like to remind you about our Lower Primary Christmas Shows and Santa's Festival next week. As I mentioned in previous newsletters, all proceeds from the Santa's Festival go towards the Fairs to Educate program, which pays tuition fees for the children of our maintenance and security staff.

This week, I would also like to personally congratulate Rommel García Ibarra, one of our scholarship recipients, who graduated school this month. 

Last Sunday we had a party for all our ABC staff and families. We hosted 600 people with many children. A great day was had and many of our staff and students worked really hard to make the day a success. Thank you to Actúa and especially Estefanía Chacón, Anabella Soto and Natalia Carrillo for their amazing contributions to the event. 

Primary News

Dear Parents and Carers,

Last week the Grade 4 students had their camping trip to Corinto. They had an amazing time, learned a lot and built their social skills. Here are some photos that were taken while they were away. As you can see they had a drone there!




Last night it was the Upper Primary Christmas Concert. The feedback from parents has been that they really enjoyed watching it and thought the students were wonderful. That there was a very special atmosphere. The students performed a show adapted from ‘Gold, Frankincense and Mirth!’ written by Sheila Wilson. Sheila kindly gave us special permission to make some changes. I am sure she would be very proud of all our students especially as they only had two weeks and two days to work on it. As always the staff and students at the school were amazing in the way they worked hard and put in their best effort to achieve such a success. And to the support given by our technical team. I would also like to give a mention to those children who made a special effort to come, even though it caused them some difficulty. The character Joseph had been taken to hospital earlier in the day after an accident but was determined that ‘the show would go on!’. Thank you to all the parents who brought in delicious food for the audience to enjoy and to the MAdres for organizing it all. Please see the news blog for photos.

Today reports will be sent out for all Primary students. If you are a parent with an Upper Primary child you will see that we have added an additional box on the report to explain the grades. The full significance of each grade has been explained in a letter sent out on Wednesday. If you have any questions please read the letter very carefully before phoning the school.

Grade 3 have been out to clean a beach and release turtles today as part of their IPC unit on materials. Rubbish on the beach really is an issue. The damage it does to the wildlife and the environment in general is now a major world problem as is the use of ‘one use plastic’. We are encouraging people not to use plastic bags but to take their own reusable bag as well as dispose of their rubbish carefully. We are conducting a series of visits with Funzel and will be fundraising to support their work in the spring.

On Wednesday we will be having our Lower Primary shows and Santa’s Festival. We will have lots of nice food, the tombola, games and a Santa’s Grotto. Every LP class is involved in a show and they are always very entertaining. We look forward to seeing you all there.

In the last few weeks we have carried out a detailed Bullying Survey in Primary. As far as we were concerned bullying is at a low level in school and we deal with any issues as soon as we are aware of them. Unfortunately occasionally parents spread rumours about bullying situations in school that are not factually correct. Sometimes this is becasue paretns mistkake single incidents for bullying, or equal power rough play for bullying or friendly teasing for bullying. We have carried out a survey from grade 1 upwards to find out the students perspective. The facts are that the survey showed 98% of our children are happy in school. 89% of students were able to explain what bullying is correctly and of the few incidents reported in the survey some were things like ‘I don’t want him/her to sit next to me on the carpet’ and these have been addressed. Any other comments are being followed up. We also have systems in place for children to report if they are hurt or bullied. Just one of them in Upper Primary is the ‘trusting hands’ children write down the names of 5 adults they think they could talk to if they were being hurt either at school or at home. The method we tend to use most to resolve issues in Primary is the Support Group Approach which is generally very effective. If you are concerned about bullying in the Primary School please contact the class teacher and we will do our best to address those concerns.

Thank you for all the shoeboxes and toys that have come in so far.

One week to go!

Best wishes,

Sharon Short
Head of Primary 
Safegurding Officer

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
December
Monday 11th - 1st Bonet trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 8:30am
Tuesday 12th - 1st Henríquez trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 8:30am
Tuesday 12th - Non-uniform day for children who brought in a filled jar.
Wednesday 13th - LP is leaving early: 
  • Pre-Kinder 11:00
  • Kinder 11:30
  • Prepa 12:30
  • 1st grade 1:00pm. 
Wednesday 13th - LP Christmas Show & Christmas Fair:


Friday 15h - Last day of school - Leave at 11.10 with siblings
8th January, 1st day back.

Upper Primary
December
Thursday 14th - Team Sports extracurricular activities finish.
Thursday 14th - Whole School Christmas Concert - 6-7:30pm
Friday 15th - Last Day of School (Christmas Holiday) Leave at 11.40.
8th January, 1st day back.

Please note Ana Gloria Mena and Edda Padilla are Primary Safeguarding Officers

Secondary News

Dear parents and carers,

We are rapidly heading to the end of term and the much longed for holidays! Looking back it seems incredible that a whole term has nearly passed since I wrote welcoming you to the new school year! So many activities, events, projects and opportunities for learning and personal growth! It has certainly been an exciting and rewarding term and I thank each and everyone of the parents who actively support the school community in different ways.

The Christmas shoe-boxes are slowly coming in but it is wonderful to see that everyday we have more boxes! Please try to send at least one in with your child next week. These gifts are very much appreciated and they go a long way in restoring faith and hope in children who are less privileged. 

We are also collecting food items for the Christmas baskets our students are putting together as gifts for our maintenance and security staff. The Christmas spirit is one of giving so I would like to thank you all for your contributions towards this as it is a really special sentiment to be grateful to the people surrounding us for everything they do for us and take an opportunity to focus on giving and not on receiving. Our staff have also been very generous in this respect! I know together as a community we will have a lovely thank you christmas basket for each member of our school maintenance and security staff! 


This week we have also been delighted to hear of a very special recognition given to one of our students. Congratulations to Ariana Rodriguez, who was given a recognition by the Sports Commission of the Legislative Assembly for her outstanding performance in her equestrian Federation. We are very proud to see one of ROCs being given such an honourable recognition. Way to go!


CAS activity at Hospital San Rafael
From Roberto Mayorga- class of 2018
The students in the pictures worked along with Fundación Lolo at Hospital San Rafael to sponsor part of a Christmas Party that was being celebrated for the children. The purpose of this activity was to help the children and their parents to distract themselves from the stresses of being internalized in the hospital. We brought snacks, boxed juices and candies for the children and their parents to enjoy.


We continue to celebrate our students’ success and I invite you to visit the PE blog to see our ABC records which our athletes hold! This week we have been having Tribal assemblies and the “Top Performer” has been recognised and given a certificate. Please ask your children to show you! 


Grade 6 Empowerment Camp Trip to Portezuelo
From Ms Chávez
On Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6h of December, Grade 6 went to Portezuelo to have their team building activity and end of year trip. The children had a fantastic time with all the activities we offered: the bubble football, horse riding, volleyball games, sack race, water football and much more! Our 2 hour hiking up the mountain was exhausting and real fun! Students had a first hand experience of walking in the middle of the forest and really enjoying the contact with nature. In the evening we gathered around a bonfire and roasted marshmallows and we were in for a real treat: the story of one of the Portezuelo “legends” - we even had the “ghost” who came to life and played a trick on all of us! They lived a 2 day experience surrounded by nature, adventure and a lot of games. We all saw in Grade 6 a very positive attitude and it truly was a great bonding time between friends. They were very well behaved, and most of all, they had a lot of fun. Each day they are becoming more independent and responsible. Our team of teachers worked very hard to ensure students were entertained and the parents who kindly offered their time were a great part of the team, always involved. We had two of the happiest days enjoying their enthusiasm and never ending energy! Thank you parents for trusting us and for giving your children an opportunity of a fantastic and unforgettable experience.


I look forward to our last week of term which I know will be a very busy week! I would like to kindly ask parents to respect the school calendar and do not book family holidays before the end of term. The last day of term is a Tribal celebration and one where every student’s participation is important. We must remember that learning does not only happen inside the classrooms or measured by assessments. The tribal group activities and community celebrations are a key aspect of being part of a community and are part of the memories we carry with us as adults.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend,

Kind regards,

Natalia Cáceres Escalón

Dates for your diary
December
Monday 11th- Grade 7 Christmas Family Lunch 12.20 - 2.00 pm
Thursday 14th- ABC Christmas concert 6.00pm PAC
Friday 15th - End of Term 1. Last day of school
Secondary school students leave at 12.00 pm
January 2018
Monday 8th - First day of Term 2- Please be punctual for a 7.00 am start!
Friday 12th - Grade 6 Learning Review Day
Friday 19th - Grade 7 Learning Review Day
Tuesday 23rd - G9 and G11 Parent Teacher Meetings 4.30 pm- 7.00 pm

Friday 1 December 2017

14: Friday 1st December 2017

From the Director


As I write this letter we are approaching the last two weeks of what has been a long and successful term. We have many end of term and Christmas activities and events coming up and are looking forward to seeing many of you here at school. Thank you to so many of you who are supporting our shoe box and other fund raising campaigns to help less fortunate children enjoy their Christmas. As we approach Christmas let us all remember the importance of our families and our community at this time of year.

Today, around the world is HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and in school we have been talking to our secondary students so they are aware of issues relating to HIV. It is important for their own well being that they are aware of the dangers so they can stay safe. More information is provided in the Secondary Section of this newsletter.

We had a Superhero Day today. It was a pleasure to see the children arriving in their costumes this morning and sharing fun during the day. We caught a group of Superheroes in this picture.


I had the pleasure of watching the Pre mini boys basketball team yesterday in an amazing game of basketball which ended 22 points all. At the end I took this photograph of our team. We are very proud of them. I loved witnessing their energy, enthusiasm and team spirit. Well done to everyone involved with them. I hope you all have a great weekend with your children. 


Primary News

Dear Parents and Carers,

2nd grade students, parents and teachers had a wonderful experience under the stars on Friday 24th November. The children were able to work as a team and be respectful towards each other by playing fun and interactive games, including problem solving activities to find the hidden treasure in the scavenger hunt. We would like to thank the Madres Enlace for their wonderful organisation of dinner and snacks and the fathers for being so brave sleeping out in the cold night. It was a marvelous experience for all.



Important Grade 4 Reminder. We are trying to make sure that every student who wants to go to the UK in 2019 has the opportunity. The trip will be more or less the same as this year but with the company Equity doing the complicated booking arrangements and providing a representative 24/7 to make sure that everything goes smoothly. If you would like your child to go please make sure you have paid the deposit of $500 by the 4th December. The places will be booked at this point and only students new to the school will be able to get onto the trip after this date. 

UK Trip 2019 - Pay the deposit!

4th grade camping



Today was Superhero Day when students were allowed to come to school either dressed as a Superhero or in a Superhero t-shirt to support TECHO and our CAS students. All of our little superheroes were flying all over the place but all was in a good cause. Back to normal on Monday - Phew!

In car safety-Important. For many years now we have tried to encourage parents to ensure their children are safely strapped into the car. For the last two years we have been recommending booster seats for all primary children. Please see this latest safety video and make sure the drivers, grandparents or anyone else who picks up your child knows the rules. This should include your private transport buses as well.

https://youtu.be/D9EGCi922Ps essential viewing! 

On Thursday 7th December it will be the Upper Primary Christmas Concert. All students are expected to take part. They should arrive in school at 5.00pm where they will be served PIzza and drink in their classes and then taken down to the Auditorium with their class. Parents are also invited for refreshments before the show. If you are bringing food please remember it can be delivered anytime between 7.00am and 2.00pm on the day.

On Friday 15th December the school will be closing early as is usual on the last day of the first term. Please make the arrangements for your child’s collection now and do not let it get forgotten. The times are below.

Lower Primary can leave from the blue and white benches at 11.10 am and take their Upper Primary siblings with them. (not Secondary siblings) 
At 11.40 am Upper Primary can be collected. Those students with Secondary siblings can go the the Admin car park and wait as normal.
Secondary students will not be leaving until 12.00. Those students with Primary passes can come down to the white benches at 12.10 pm.

Please note those primary children who are not collected on time will be taken to the Playroom until 12.15 pm and then to Claudia Aviles office where someone will be expected to sign for their collection. If you need help with anything please contact the class teacher or Claudia.

Kind regards,

Sharon Short
Head of Primary 
Safeguarding Officer 

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary
December
Friday 1st - Extra-curricular activities finish - 2nd session
Monday 4th - Prepa Macdonald trip to Lego Education El Salvador - 8:15am
Tuesday 5th - Prepa Kennedy trip to Lego Education El Salvador - 8:15am
Wednesday 6th - Prepa Pashley trip to Lego Education El Salvador - 8:15am
Thursday 7th - Prepa Ware trip to Lego Education El Salvador - 8:15am
Thursday 7th - 1st Pineda trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 8:30am
Friday 8th - 1st Padilla trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 8:30am
Friday 8th - LP reports go home
Monday 11th - 1st Bonet trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 8:30am
Tuesday 12th - 1st Henríquez trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 8:30am
Tuesday 12th - Non-uniform day for children who brought in a filled jar.
Wednesday 13th - LP Christmas Show & Christmas Fair - 3:00pm - PAC
Friday 15h - Last day of school

Upper Primary
December
Friday 1st - Extra-curricular activities Session 2 ends.
Thursday 7th - Upper Primary Christmas Concert (6:00pm - 7:30pm) - Auditorium
Friday 8th - UP reports go home.
Thursday 14th - Team Sports extracurricular activities finish.
Friday 15th - Last Day of School (Christmas Holiday)

Please note Ana Gloria Mena and Edda Padilla are Primary Safeguarding Officers

Secondary News

Dear parents and carers,

iSAMS Parent portal 
Thank you for all the feedback we have received regarding the iSAMS Parent portal. We are happy to see it is working well and on Tuesday we successfully published G6, G7, G8, G9 and G11 reports on this platform.

We are rapidly getting to the end of term and they are busy weeks indeed! In these weeks we are working together as a community to give back! We have three different campaigns going on with which you can all help out. All parents were sent our “shoe box””campaign letter last week and we are very grateful to all of you who have already sent your contributions in! It is truly heart-warming to see. 

I take this opportunity to let you know the pick up details of the last day of term. Secondary students are involved in different activities up to midday and we ask you to please not come to collect them before that time. We are running tribal activities where their participation is needed. Primary school will look after Upper Primary siblings so they can be picked up at 12.00 along with their older siblings.

Leaving times: Lower Primary: 11.00am; Upper Primary 11.30am; Secondary 12:00pm.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Super Hero Day


Photos here.

IB Marketing project
From Mr Murgatroyd- Head of Business and Management Department
As part of the Marketing unit of the Business Management course, the Grade 12 students were given the remit of "creating a Marketing Plan for a product of their choice" the only stipulation being the product must be new to the Salvadorian market.

While a portfolio of justified decisions and a GoogleDoc of summarized notes ensured the academic element of the project was covered, the practical side is often the more fun. It began with a 10 minute presentation to a Panel of 3 judges, in which samples were consumed and questions asked. Judges ranked the plans, and Round 1 was done. Round 2 was a display of printed promotional material, including a prototype where possible, and of course the media-based advert was sent to parents electronically beforehand. You, the parents, were asked to vote, and vote you did. Round 1 and Round 2 scores were averaged out to create an overall winner, who will be immortalized in our Wall of Fame outside Room H6. 

Congratulations to those who showed a pleasing level of commitment and creativity.- certainly some very good ideas presented and the entrepreneurial skills of our students continues to amaze. 

1st Place. KONO : somewhere between a burrito and an ice-cream, where eating the cone is the best part of the experience. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO : Gabriela Garay, Nicolas Tapias & Raquel Isart

2rd Place. COFFEE-O-MATIC : it’s about the experience as much as the product, as coffee meets innovative face-recognition technology. 

3rd Place. VEGGY : healthy vegetable based snacks, that have all the flavour and less of the fat of traditional alternatives. 





Have a wonderful weekend,

Kind regards,

Natalia Cáceres Escalón

Dates for your diary
December
Tuesday 5th - Wednesday 6th- Grade 6 Portezuelo Trip
Thursday 7th - Friday 8th - Grade 8 Portezuelo Trip
Monday 11th- Grade 7 Christmas Family Lunch 12.20 - 2.00 pm
Thursday 14th- ABC Christmas concert 6.00pm PAC
Friday 15th - End of Term 1. Last day of school
Secondary school students leave at 12.00 pm

Friday 24 November 2017

13: Friday 24th November 2017

From the Director

I hope everybody who celebrates Thanksgiving Day had a good celebration yesterday. Thanksgiving Day is increasingly celebrated in many parts of the world. In an increasingly commercial world it remains a celebration based on family, sharing and gratitude. It is something all of us in our families should be thankful for and we as a school community grateful for all we have.

As many of you know I am interested in sports and have really enjoyed the sporting events this week. The Secondary sports day was an amazing event and from my perspective enjoyed by everyone. We saw some very talented athletes in action. I also want to congratulate the boys U18 football team for an excellent result against Lamatepec this week.

Over the last few weeks we have been trialling a uniform option for girls. It was originally suggested by the older girls that girls should have the option of wearing a skirt OR trousers. In response this half term some girls have been wearing trousers. You can see them in the picture below. We are deciding whether or not to include trousers as an option for girls and we would welcome your opinion. If you have time please respond through this questionnaire. We are also surveying students and teachers for their views. Please note we are not suggesting girls uniform will change, we will still have a skirt for girls but we are considering whether girls should be allowed trousers as an option, especially on cold days or if they are concerned about being bitten by mosquitoes where trousers provide more protection. The older girls also feel trousers allow them greater freedom of movement and that business attire for women nowadays is trousers. We realise that change is sometimes difficult to cope with and we do not want to lose our ABC traditions but we also want to ensure our uniform is modern and up to date.


Our traditional Christmas Fair is coming up on December 13th and like the International Friendship Fair, all proceeds go towards our Fairs to Educate project. Fairs to Educate aims to raise funds to provide scholarships for the children of our maintenance and security staff.

This is Daniela, the a daughter of one of our maintenance team. She has just finished Grade 2 at the top of her year, earning a 1st place medal. It is thanks to your participation in our events that we can sponsor children like Daniela and pay for their tuition fees until they graduate.

We want to thank you for your support throughout the year and encourage you to come along to our Christmas Fair so we can keep helping children like Daniela.

Primary News

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you all enjoyed the celebrations on Friday. The entertainment from the students gets better each year, the food was delicious and the fireworks were spectacular. The spooky cellar was as popular as ever I understand although I didn’t queue to go in it myself! The students really enjoyed the chance to hold the sparklers and create patterns in the air. 

I would like to say thank you to everyone who took part in organizing the event.

This week the students have started their rehearsals for the Christmas Shows and concerts. Many of them will have lines and actions to learn. Please take an interest and help them to talk very slowly so we can all hear each and every word.

There are a variety of collections going on, as is usual at this time of year, and we thank you to everyone who has already sent in their jars, toys and shoe boxes. Please continue to bring in your contributions as soon as possible. The Lower Primary students who bring in a filled jar will have a non-uniform day on Tuesday 12th December.

Our 11th Graders are running a campaign to support the provision of shelter for the poorer people of El Salvador it is called TECHO. We have been invited to come dressed as a superhero on the 1st December in exchange for a dollar. We do hope to see lots of batmen, spidermen, wonder women etc on the day.

Pre-Kinder students went to visit Tin Marin Children’s Museum on Thursday. It was an unforgettable experience for our students who had the opportunity to extend their learning outside of school, as always in a dynamic and fun way. We are very proud to see their independence and security exploring another environment.

4th Rumsey presented their Spanish speaking assembly on ‘The Romans’ this week. Miss Bessy was the teacher in charge with Ms Bea assisting and it was a very informative and well performed assembly, with gods, speeches, soldiers and a lovely dance. The cast looked stunning in their costumes. Here are some photos to share with you.




Have a great week ahead.

Sharon Short
Head of Primary
Safeguarding Officer

Dates for your diary
Lower Primary
November
Monday 27th - LP extracurricular sign up - 3rd session - 9am
December
Friday 1st - Prepa Kennedy assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Friday 1st - Superhero Day bring a dollar and dress up like a superhero
Friday 1st - Extra-curricular activities finish - 2nd session
Thursday 7th - 1st Pineda trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 8:30am
Friday 8th - 1st Padilla trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 8:30am
Friday 8th - LP reports go home
Monday 11th - 1st Bonet trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 8:30am
Tuesday 12th - 1st Henríquez trip to Pizza Hut Las Cascadas - 8:30am
Tuesday 12th - Non-uniform day for children who brought in a filled jar.
Wednesday 13th - LP Christmas Show & Christmas Fair - 3:30pm - PAC
Friday 15h - Last day of school

Upper Primary
November
Friday 24th- Camping day#1 Starts at 4:00pm (2nd Grade)
Saturday 25th - Camping day #2 Ends at 11:00am (2nd Grade)
Wednesday 29th - 4th Molina Assembly - 9:20 am & 12:15pm - PAC
Wednesday 29th - Pastorela Comité Católico (2:00pm - 5:00pm) - PAC
Thursday 30th - Last Golf class from Term 2.
Thursday 30th - 4th Grade Camping at Club Salvadoreño Corinto
December
Friday 1st - Superhero Day bring a dollar and dress up like a superhero
Friday 1st - Extra- curricular activities Session 2 finish.
Thursday 7th - Upper Primary Christmas Concert (6:00pm - 7:30pm)
Thursday 14th - Team Sports activities finish.
Friday 15th - Last Day of School (Christmas Holiday)

Please note Ana Gloria Mena and Edda Padilla are Primary Safeguarding Officers

Secondary News

Dear parents and carers,

This week has been a fantastic one at the ABC and one which leaves us with many things to be grateful for, which is befitting to the week of Thanksgiving which more and more is celebrated around the world! We had our first Whole Secondary school Sports Day at the Stadium, a visiting Mexican Muralist who came to work with our Art students and leave a beautiful mural for our school and finally we had the G10 Learning Review Day which gave us an opportunity to reflect upon the first Cal period of the year. 

A new mural at the ABC!
From Ms Lucila Gonzalez- Head of Art Department
On Wednesday and Thursday we had the opportunity of having the Mexican muralist Gerardo Rivera, internationally known as Fósil, visiting the school to work with a group of Secondary students painting a mural with the theme: “ABC Identity”. We are very proud of all the work made by the muralist and the students who made their best to produce an excellent artistic piece of work. Before painting the mural, the students and art teachers attended a workshop about spray painting technique and a talk about graffiti as an artistic expression. Congratulations to our 8°, 9°, and 11° grade participating students: Héctor Himede, Ana Lucía Díaz, Gabriel Saenz, Kiefer Johnson, Alissa Velásquez, Sofía Jah Eun Liu, Andrea María Garay, Guillermo García.




Finally we had our long awaited Sports Day! I must say a special thank you to Ms Cecy Hernandez and Oscar Lima, Heads of the PE department and Mr Adrian Hall for being the motor behind all of this incredible event! The team of Madres Enlace for organising sponsorship and ensuring we were all well looked after and hydrated! The Maths department for running the scores, the incredible LRC team for all their support and cover of the whole event, the PE and Team sports team for the running of the event, our wonderful office support staff for ensuring the logistics were effective and of course our Maintenance and security staff who are absolutely tireless when it comes to serving our community! And last but not least, our incredible students who took advantage and made the most of this phenomenal event! Their enthusiasm was contagious and it was definitely a day which will go down in ABC history!

SPORTS DAY 2017!
From Mr Adrian Hall


On Tuesday, the entire Secondary school came together to celebrate Sports Day at the Estadio Jorge "Mágico" González. The day took nearly a year to plan and organise, and would not have happened without the vision and determination of our Head of PE Cecy Hernandez and her team, who wanted to give our students a chance to demonstrate their athletic abilities to their friends, parents and teachers, and to celebrate ABC sport together with the whole school community.

Over the day, there were more than fifty races involving nearly three hundred students, as well as field events involving a further three hundred. The competitors enjoyed loud and enthusiastic support from their friends watching, as well as the teachers and parents in the stands. After so much work by so many people, it was wonderful to see our students really enjoying themselves and showing great pride and spirit, both for their tribes and for the school. 

There were also some spectacular performances and achievements to enjoy. At the time of writing, we are still awaiting the confirmed results and details from the stadium, however, many of our students will have set school records which will last for many years, and will give a benchmark for students to challenge in future years.


Unfortunately, due to unexpected delays we were not able to complete the final three races of the day. Obviously we were very disappointed about this, but had to take the safety of our students into account as it was getting dark as we left the stadium. For this reason, we do not, at present, have a winner of the 2017 ABC Sports Day! We have decided to run those final races, as well as those pitching the teachers against student, on the last day of term in addition to our traditional tug-of-war competitions. At the completion of those races, we will be able to announce the winning tribe for each grade as well as the overall winner, and award the trophies and medals..

All of our community put in a huge amount of work to make this day a success, but I would like to mention two groups in particular. Firstly, our students were tremendous ambassadors for the ABC from start to finish, and there were many examples of students demonstrating our ABC values of Respect, Resilience and Enthusiasm, as well as, of course, being excellent leaders and team players. I also have to make mention of the Madres Enlace who worked tirelessly in the weeks leading up to the day to ensure our students had a fantastic time and had plenty of food and drink to sustain them in the over the course of the day. Thank you for your sponsorship and support! Their work on the day was also nothing short of heroic, and we are extremely lucky to have such a supportive team of parents who do so much for the school.

As our first event of this type in many years, there are many things to reflect on, and we would welcome feedback from students and parents on ways we might improve going forward. It is clear from the positive feedback so far that the sports day will need to become an annual event, and we hope the 2018 Sports Day will be even better!



Link to more photographs here

I feel very grateful to work at such an amazing learning community filled with opportunities for growth and teamwork! 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Kind regards,

Natalia Cáceres Escalón 

Dates for your diary
November
Tuesday 21st to 11th December - Shoe Box campaign for whole school
Friday 24th - Grade 10 Learning Review Day (all day and by appointment)
Tuesday 27th - Grade 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11 Cal 1 reports published on iSAMS parent portal
December
Thursday 14th- ABC Christmas concert 6.00pm PAC
Friday 15th - End of Term 1. Last day of school
Secondary school students leave at 12.00 pm

Team Sports

​The activity started on Friday and continued on Saturday with track and field events during the International Athletic Tournament.


Session one of the First International Athletic Tournament 2017 which is taking place at the American School, San Salvador. Our Bulldogs are participating in the competitions.

Some individual results:
Nancy Massillon 1st place 100 mts.
Airi Shibata 2nd place 1,500 mts.

International Athletic Tournament 2017
During the second and last session, the Bulldogs made
their best effort and managed to achieve good results for the ABC.


Some individual results:
Nancy Sophia Massillon 1st place 200 mts.
Sofia Huezo Bandek 2nd place in cross-country and 3rd place in
long jump.

Training- Youth Football


Methods for youth football taught by Carlos Sotelo (FIFA instructor from Costa Rica).

TSP wants to congratulate Juan Fernando López Schaeuffler for having won the National LII Amateur Golf Championship 2017 in the Boys category.


Congratulations!!

Basketball Bilingual League- Cadets (m)
Lamatepec School and the ABC played a very exciting game played this afternoon. Both teams made their best effort in order to achieve 3 points. At the end, the ABC won thanks to a very effective defence.


Lamatepec 37 – 43 ABC

Bilingual League- Football 18U (m) –
The ABC won the game against Lamatepec School during the match played as visiting team at the LS. It was near the end the end of the game that the ABC Bulldogs won thanks to a free throw.


Lamatepec 1 – 2 ABC

Training session- Football - 8U (m) -
The Bulldogs had their training session at Besport.