Friday 31 March 2017

27: Friday 31st March 2017

From the Director
I would like to begin by congratulating the Under 16 and Under 18 boys football teams for reaching the finals of the Bilingual league football games which will be taking place next week.

This week we had a very interesting Parent Partnership Meeting on Internet Safety aimed at the parents of children in Grade 6, 7 and 8. We know this is an area of concern because we see the effects at times here in school and we know it is an area that parents need to work with their children on. We were disappointed so few parents attended but we are determined to keep working in this area as we see it as crucial to the safety and wellbeing of our students. Thank you to those parents who did attend and to your valuable feedback on the usefulness of the event. We have linked the presentation for the evening to the school website and it can also be seen on this link

Some mornings in the upper car park we have an issue with blocked traffic leaving the campus which then leads to many students arriving late at school. We are aware some parents find it difficult to arrive early and that it is frustrating for you and your son or daughter when they arrive late. We have decided to make some changes to the ways cars depart from the upper car park after 6.50 am. We have observed that before 6.50 am there is rarely a problem with traffic flow but after 6.50 am as the French School traffic starts to build up we do sometimes have a blockage with access to the Panamericana. We have instructed our traffic monitors that when the road is blocked leading up to the Panamericana that traffic must turn right and exit towards the Plaza Merliot otherwise we end up with a standstill in the drop off area. So please note that after 6.50 am you may be instructed to turn right and leave via the Plaza Merliot rather than turn left towards the Panamericana. In the interests of all our safety can I please ask that you respect the decisions of our traffic monitors in this respect. They are working in the best interests of all our parents and children. If you really do need to turn left out of the gate and head towards the Panamericana can I please ask that you make sure you arrive before 6.50 am as we cannot guarantee you will be able to do so after 6.50 am.

I know we are all looking forward to the coming vacation. I myself will be out of school from Wednesday as I am attending the Latin American Heads Conference. I hope to see some of you supporting our Under 18 football team at the Bilingual league final next tuesday at 6 pm. Please check our calendar for further details. Please take note that next Friday is a normal school day and there will be extracurriculars and Team Sports.I hope you have a great weekend.




Primary News
Dear Parents and Carers,

This week we had Ms Jassi Grewal in school taking a look at what we do and the way we work. Ms Jassi is from the British School in Carácas, Venezuela. Her school is also applying for IPC accreditation and it was suggested by one of the IPC advisors that she come and have a look at what we are doing. She commented on the lovely atmosphere in school, how polite the children were and how open the teachers were for her to visit the classrooms. I asked her to ask the students about their learning in school on my behalf. The questions she used are the ones that the accreditation team will be asking our students when they come in November. She found that our students are getting much better at answering these questions than they were earlier in the year. I am very proud of the way our teachers have helped our students in this respect. I managed to show Ms Grewal a few of the sights of El Salvador during her short stay too. School had a very pleasant time with Ms Grewal here and hope to welcome her back again sometime in the future. 

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Next week our traditional Swimming Galas will take place. Please check the calendar and letters that are sent out because the times and days had to change for some grades. This was due to the school being advised of an important swimming competition after the original dates were set.
Please note all students should wear their school swimming suit and a swimming cap if they have long hair.

Parents please remember that good attendance in school is vital for children’s learning.
For certain children even one day’s absence can set them back. We do not expect our teachers to make sure children catch up on what they may have missed. Many teachers will try, but it very complex when a number of students are absent for different days and times. Interestingly we sometimes find that parents try and blame us for their child’s lack of achievement when the records clearly show they have not had good attendance in school, this also applies to lateness. When a student arrives late for school they are often not ready to learn they disrupt the rest of the class with their arrival and it just gets the day off to a bad start. Traffic problems are not really an acceptable excuse for lateness. There are always some traffic issues and these should be taken into account when you choose your setting off time. It takes a child about 5 minutes to walk to their class so everyone in Upper Primary should be dropped off by 7.05 at the latest.  
Clock, Time, Timer, Face, ...

For our IPC accreditation they will be speaking to parents to find out how well you know the IPC. So from next August a lot of information about the IPC will be in our Home School Communication books and in our reading folders. We are also developing some information to go on the website for your easy reference. Here is a question to get you started though. What is the purpose of an IPC entry point? Do you know? Do your children know? Perhaps you can ask around and find out.

The holidays are fast approaching. Enjoy the last week of school this term.

Best wishes,
Sharon Short
Head of Primary and Primary Safeguarding Officer.

Lower Primary
April
Saturday 1st: Sports and Family Day - Pre-Kinder & Kinder 08:00 - 09:30 am
Saturday 1st: Sports and Family Day - Prepa & 1st Grade 10:00 - 11:30 am
Monday 3rd: 1st grade Swimming Gala - 8:50 - 10:20 am, children may leave after event
Wednesday 5th: Prepa visit Joya de Cerén
Wednesday 5th: PK visit Tenerife
Thursday 6th: 1st Grade visit Atlantis
Friday 7th: Last day of Term 2 - children leave at normal times
Monday 24th: First day of Term 3

Upper Primary
April
Tuesday 4th:
2nd Swimming Gala 9:00 a. m a 10:30 a. m
3rd Swimming Gala 11:00 a. m a 12:30 p.m
Children may go home after the event.

Friday 7th:
4th Swimming Gala 9:00 a. m a 10:30 a. M
5th Swimming Gala 11:00 a. m a 12:30 p.m
Children may go home after the event.

Friday 7th: Last day of Term 2 -
Monday 24th: First day of Term 3




Secondary News

Dear parents and carers,

We started the week with our Parent Partnership evening aimed at KS3 parents on the Dangers and benefits of the Internet and how we can help our children look after themselves online as well as how to make sense of the conflicting messages which they are exposed to. I have to be honest when I say it was disheartening for me and my colleagues to see that less than 5% our KS3 students were represented there that night as we consistently deal with issues to do with the inappropriate use of this at school. We will of course continue in our commitment with the safeguarding and guidance of our students and will continue to think of ways to encourage parents to come to our partnership events as we are clear that the more we work together, the more likely our teens will receive a coherent message. We urge you to please come to events held for parents at school as this is also a way to show support for your children.

I would like to say a huge thank you to the Art department and the LRC staff for organising the activities around Art Week at school this week. We have had students from the whole school come to learn and explore around the various artistic genres and expressions. You can take a look at some pictures here. We encourage you to ask your children how they participated and what they learnt!


We are coming to the end of a long term which has included exams and revision stress for our students. For our Grade 10 and 12 particularly, it is a time to focus on revision to do the very best they can at their upcoming IGCSE and IB exams. It is natural to have grouchy and tired students and it is important that we help them look after their health at this time especially. Please ensure that your children have breakfast before coming into school in the morning and that they have had enough rest to deal with the day’s demands. Ideally, teens should get between 8 and 9 hours per night for their physical and emotional well-being.

Finally, our school Musical is well underway and students and staff working hard to put on what I know will be a spectacular show! Congratulations to the runners up of the Sound of Music Poster Competition! Their posters will be displayed around the school and they will receive a free ticket to the 4.00 pm Matinee on Friday 28th of April.  

6A Nelson Emilio Salinas
6B Mariana Schlageter
6B Alexia María Hernández
6D Emma Hall
6D Brielle Kahealani Collins
6E Annette Bigit
12C Gabriela Zedan
12H José Alfredo Medina

Have a wonderful weekend,
Natalia Cáceres Escalón

Secondary dates for your diary

April
Saturday 1st to Saturday 18th April - Business Department Trip to UK and France
Saturday 1st- International Award expedition to Santa Ana Volcano
Friday 7th - Last day of Term two
Monday 10th to Friday 21st - Easter holidays, school closed
Monday 24th  - First day of Term three
Wednesday 26th - First IGCSE exam and last day for Grade 12 in classes (proper working day)
Thursday 27th, Friday 28th  and Saturday 29th - School musical production the ‘Sound of Music’
Friday 28th - First IB exam and last day of lessons for G10

May
Monday 1st  - National Holiday for Labour Day - school closed
Monday 8th - G11 Parent Partnership - University Application Process - 6pm PAC
Wednesday 10th - National Holiday for Mother's' Day - school closed

Friday 24 March 2017

26: Friday 24th March 2017

From the Director


It was a pleasure to see so many of you at the Convocatoria on Monday evening. As a community it is important that we share our ideas and hopes for the future direction of our school. As I am sure you are aware we are in the second year of  three year strategic plan and we are currently discussing priorities for the period beyond the end of that plan. We want to ensure our school has the best facilities at a cost which the community can bear. We will be discussing this further with the Board of Governors over the coming months and consulting with the community.


Please note that next Tuesday we have arranged a Parent Partnership Meeting aimed at Grades 6 to 8 on the theme of the internet to help you manage your way through it with your children. If any parents from other grades would like to join us they are of course welcome. The invitation is in the Secondary section of this newsletter.


I would like to congratulate all children who took part in the Bicultural Arts Festival last week leading up to the performances at the Teatro Presidente. They were excellent and it was great to see the teamwork. Thank you also to all ABC staff who participated and supported the event.


We are doing a review of our cafeteria at the moment and will be asking you for fine feedback in the next week. If your children use the cafeteria we would be grateful if you would take the time to reply to our survey when it is sent.


On behalf of all the team here at the ABC I hope you have a pleasant and safe weekend




Primary News
Dear Parents and Carers,


It was a delight to go to the Bicultural Celebration on Friday evening and see our students perform. I was particularly impressed with the strings section and the choral singing. I was pleased for our UP music teacher Mr Luis Diaz who has been heavily involved with the junior choir this time leading rehearsals in our school and co-ordinating the choir efforts. I feel very proud of the primary students who participated and would like to congratulate everyone for their hard work and excellent performance.FB_IMG_1490017574435.jpg


The following morning we had our Primary Fair. I was delighted with the level of attendance for this special Primary event. Once again the students had a range of entertaining and interesting activities for everyone to try. I was pleased to see Mums and Dads painting the plant pots as well as the children. I made a fruit loop necklace, decorated a biscuit, had my photo taken and played quite a few of the games. I felt there was a lovely atmosphere and I could see lots of students developing their skills. Thank you all for coming and supporting the event. You will be impressed to hear that we made a profit of it $7644.29 for ‘Fairs to Educate’. A success all round! The Primary Fair committee sent this message.


“It is a pleasure for us to inform you that the Committee for Fairs to Educate has achieved its goal to raise the necessary funds to cover the cost of 22 scholarships for the rest of 2017. At the end of the year 3 students will graduate from high school and we will be able to take applications for new scholarships for the next school year.” It is wonderful to know we are helping less fortunate families from our school workforce to better their life chances and the gratitude expressed by these families knows no bounds.”


I would like to give a big thank you to the parents who created our surprise rainforest in the Grade 2 corridor. The students were amazed when they arrived and it made a stunning entry point for their new unit. It was not only visually great but the smells and sounds included added that extra special touch. The students are now learning about the destruction of the rainforest and sadly it is gradually disappearing. I am sure they will remember this unit for a long time.

Grade 4 reading to Prepa.png


Our annual Book Week Celebration in Primary was much shorter this year but it did not dampen the children’s enjoyment and enthusiasm for reading. On Thursday Kathy Z Price, a published author, engaged students in an interactive, lively retelling of her book ‘The Bourbon Street Musicians’. We were delighted to welcome authors Silvia Pira, Carolina Ciudad and Alejandra Labbe de Abrego who shared readings of their published books with the children and inspired them to read more.
We would like to express a huge thanks to readers from the local and school community, including Grade 8 students, who supported events at the school and shared their love of reading. 

Grade 4 students reading to Prepa
Drop Everything and Read DEAR
Local author Caroline Cuidad sharing her book.


Saturday the 1st April is our Lower Primary sports and family morning. I look forward to seeing you all there. I know that no good parent would want their child to miss out on such an important day. The students have been practicing hard. Please make sure that everyone has on their sunscreen before they arrive. There other activities for siblings to do and there will be food on sale. I know you will have a lovely morning.


Have a relaxing weekend.
Best wishes,
Sharon Short
Head of Primary and Primary Safeguarding officer


Dates for your diary
Lower Primary
March
Friday 31st: Pre-Kinder Siri assembly - 7:45 am - PAC


April
Saturday 1st: Sports and Family Day - Pre-Kinder & Kinder 08:00 - 09:30 am
Saturday 1st: Sports and Family Day - Prepa & 1st Grade 10:00 - 11:30 am
Monday 3rd: 1st grade Swimming Gala - 8:50 - 10:20 am


Upper Primary
March
Monday 20th - Friday 31st: UP Parent Conferences
Wednesday 29th: 2nd Spanish Assembly 9:20 - 10:05 PAC and 12:15 - 1:15 PAC


April
Tuesday 4th:
2nd Swimming Gala 9:00 a. m a 10:30 a. m
3rd Swimming Gala 11:00 a. m a 12:30 p.m
Children may go home after the event.


Friday 7th:
4th Swimming Gala 9:00 a. m a 10:30 a. M
5th Swimming Gala 11:00 a. m a 12:30 p.m
Children may go home after the event.




Secondary News


Dear parents and carers,
This week G7 had their Team building empowerment activity. It was a great example of our students working collaboratively reinforcing friendships, communication and empathy. A huge thank you to Mrs Jacqueline Soriano and the Grade 7 tutors, as well as to Ms Hernandez and the PE department for organising the activities and last but not least, thank you to the Grade 7 Madres Enlace for their provision of goodies for the group!
 


As you know, our teens’ welfare in and out of school is of utmost importance to us, as it is to you and following on from our Safer Internet week a few weeks back, we will be offering a Parent Partnership Evening around this topic, especially focused to our KS3 parents so we can all work together in ensuring the very best protection and guidance to our students. Please join us on Tuesday 28th March, at 6.00pm in the PAC for this very important session. If there are any particular aspects you would like to hear about, please contact me directly and we will do all we can to include it in the session.


On a similar note, we are concerned over what our students are being exposed to at community events, particularly parties, some even organised by parents. HOOKAH and ELECTRONiC CIGARETTES are NOT safe. Similar to cigarettes, hookah smoking delivers the addictive drug nicotine and it is at least as toxic as cigarette smoking. Some people believe Hookah and Vaping as less harmful than smoking cigarettes; hookah smoking carries many of the same health risks as cigarettes. Hookah smoke contains many of the same harmful toxins as cigarette smoke. It is imperative that parents and teens understand that it is the flavors in e-cigarettes one of the main reasons youth use them, but e-cigarette aerosol is not safe and e-cigarette use is strongly associated with the use of other tobacco products among youth and young adults. We respectfully ask that you do not make these available to teenagers at parties and that you actively speak to your children about the dangers of these trends.


We finished the week holding our jeans day in support of “Paraíso Down.” Thank you to the group of students who work so hard at raising awareness of this important issue and we thank all the students who supported by buying the t-shirt.


ABC ACTUA - Spring Book Week Activity
From Ms Sol Wilson
ABC  ACTUA group, a community service organisation made up by students from KS3 and KS4,  has been working strenuously since February in organising “Spring Book Week Activities” for small children. The group was contacted by Ms. Iris Esmeralda Giron Palma, Director of the Guarderia de la Asociacion Pro Casa Maternal.  The purpose of this visit was  to share  Book Reading Activities with infants and to  provide a bit of precious FUN  time  to help low-income children get involved in various activities planned by students for students.  ACTUA Students visited the Casa Maternal Las Palmas  on Thursday, March 16. During our visit, students  organised several activities, such as:
  • Reading Books with students in small groups
  • Gardening  – spring flowers and Herbs were planted in small groups,
  • Refreshments and Cupcakes were shared and an Easter Egg Hunt was conducted by students.
  • Donated – notebooks, coloring pencils, clay, coloring books and games.
This Book Week  activity  certainly  brought great benefit and inner satisfaction to all ACTUA students.


Finally , we look forward to celebrating Art week at school next week. Thank you to the Art Department and LRC staff who have put together an exciting set of activities for the community.


Have a wonderful weekend!
Natalia Cáceres Escalón


Secondary dates for your diary


March
Tuesday 28th  - KS3 Parent Partnership Meeting on Internet Safety
Friday 31st - Grade 8 Art Trip to Bicentenario (San Salvador) and end of Grade 9 and 11 exams


April
Saturday 1st to Saturday 18th April - Business Department Trip to UK and France
Sunday 2nd - Bicultural Music Festival
Friday 7th - Last day of Term two

Monday 10th to Friday 21st - Easter holidays, school closed