From the Director
We have been focusing on the ABC value of leadership so far this term and next week we are moving to the ABC value of being reflective. Next week is also our Internet Safety Week and we will be working with our children in this area. I would ask you to reflect on your own children’s safety on line by thinking about these questions.
- Do you know what your child does on line? Do you discuss it with them? Are you sure they are being kind online? Are you confident they are posting positive messages on any social media?
- Does your child have internet access behind bedroom doors with no control of what they are doing or searching online?
- Do you go to sleep before your children? Do you know that they are not chatting or surfing until very late?
- Do you have times when your family sits together and nobody is checking their phone?
- Do you need to protect your home against pornographic, violent or hateful websites?
I am confident that as a community we can promote the positive aspects of the internet. As a community we can protect our youngsters and help them grow to be responsible internet users promoting a better future.
This last week has been a week of exams for many of our older students who are preparing for their final IGCSE and IB exams in May and June. The ABC has a long tradition of doing these international examinations which are taken by children in international schools in most countries around the world. The IGCSE and IB are also taken by many students in the U.K. and the IB is now becoming a very popular program in the U.S.A. The IGCSE and IB courses are international programs, externally moderated which allow our children access to a world class education. The IB also comes with clear expectations of students being global citizens who are responsible and ethical. All the work we do with our students is designed to help prepare them for their exams and also to be ‘responsible outstanding citizens’. The ABC is the only school in this country to provide such a comprehensive international discussion diploma programme.
Next Wednesday evening at 6.30 pm I have been invited by the Parent Association to come and talk about some of the things happening at school at present including the CIS self study, our team sports programme and the recent IPC Accreditation. I hope many of you will be able to attend this event in the PAC.
We have started rehearsals for the Bicultural Arts Festival already in some of the activities. The event this year will culminate in shows here at school because the Teatro Presidente has cancelled our booking and we do not want to let down the students who look forward to this event every year. I hope you will come along and support the shows on the 1 and 2 of March.
I hope you all have a good weekend and look forward to seeing you next week.
Primary News
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are glad the weather has warmed up a bit allowing us all to return to our normal uniform. While on this issue, please remember that girls with long hair, must have it tied up and all shoes must have a fastening.
Pre-K evaluations. This weekend we will start to evaluate the children who are hoping to join the ABC in August. They will spend two hours playing with our staff so that we can observe their social skills, their language skills and their independence. If you want your child to come into Pre-K in August please make sure you have signed up with Estefania Chacon so that your place is registered.
Grade 5 entry point - a brief report by Javier Crespo, 5th Caceres.
We've recently been introduced to a serious but extremely interesting IPC Topic known as ‘Moving People’, which is all about poor people who have lost homes, are escaping from war or are simply need to migrate. It is really sad seeing what these people have to suffer to get to their long awaited and secure destinations. It eventually makes you think: How would you feel when put in those heartbreaking circumstances? Which is where our Entry Point Comes in!!!
Even though it barely was a taste of what people have to suffer, it really made me feel both, sorry and privileged for all of the goods I've got, and how happy I should feel for having a wonderful home and country. But to finish this off, I just want to say it was an extraordinary Entry Point!
Unfortunately we did not get enough students come forward for the choir festival in Durango, Mexico and so this trip will not go ahead after all. We are all very disappointed as it would have been a great opportunity for some of our Primary students to represent the school. We hope to be able to go next year!
Shoebox appeal report
Around 500 children benefited from the Christmas Shoebox appeal and celebration. Here you will find some pictures that show part of the event. The celebration included games, shoes, clothing, and lots of surprises. Monte Sion Coffee organised the event and you can see more pictures on their Facebook page. Thank you to everyone who made a Shoebox you made a big difference to these children’s lives.
All the best for a wonderful weekend.
Sharon Short
Head of Primary
Safeguarding Officer.
Dates for your diary
Lower Primary
Saturday 27th January - PK Entrance Evaluations
February
Friday 2nd - Kinder Quintanilla’s assembly - 7:45am - PAC
Friday 2nd - 1st grade Sleepover - 4pm - PAC
Saturday 3rd - PK Entrance Evaluations
Thursday 15th - Pre-Kinder trip to Jardín Botánico
Friday 16th - Kinder Suárez assembly - 7:45am - PAC
Friday 23rd - Pre-Kinder Rampone assembly - 7:45am - PAC
Friday 23rd - Extracurricular activities, 3rd session, ends
Monday 26th - Extracurricular activities, 4th session starts
Wednesday 28th - Prepa Night Activity - 4:00pm - PAC
Upper Primary
January
Friday 26th - 3rd Grade Camping Night- Tenerife Residential Park (Fri-Sat)
Wednesday 31st - 2nd Lawrence Assembly - 9:20am and 12:15pm - PAC
February
Thursday 1st - UP Valentine Grams/ Madres Enlace (Thu- Fri)
Monday 5th - 5th Grade Camping at Portezuelo (Mon-Tue)
Wednesday 7th - Half Term Holiday (7-12 Feb)
Tuesday 13th - Back to school from Half Term
Tuesday 13th - UP Valentine Grams/ Madres Enlace (Tue- Wed)
Saturday 17th - Upper Primary Sports and Family Morning - 8:00 am - 12:30pm
Please note Ana Gloria Mena and Edda Padilla are Primary Safeguarding Officers
Secondary News
Dear Parents and Carers,
I would like to start saying “Thank you” to all the Science department for all their work on the Grade 11’s Group 4 project. You can read more about it below.
Group 4 Project- Class of 2019
From Mrs Emmerson- Head of Science Department
The students in grade 11 spent Wednesday and Thursday this week working on their ‘group 4 project’, which is part of their IB diploma in science. This is a collaborative project which involves groups of students studying different science IB options, working together in designing, developing and presenting their own scientific investigation based on a common theme. The theme this year was ‘Food for the Future’.
This sparked a wide range of investigations, from how our sense of taste is affected by sounds to preparations for space travel. There were also several investigations that focused on creative innovations in the growing and storage of food. The students certainly had the opportunity to develop their skills in research, evaluation and reflection. Excellent posters were produced as part of the presentations and some of these will be on display at the grade 10 IB options evening in February.
Safer Internet Day 2018
From Mrs Jennifer García
Each year hundreds of schools from around the world spend a day or more working on activities and holding discussions that focus on the very important topic of online safety. The secondary school has participated in Safer Internet Week each year since 2012, with discussions and activities taking place in tutor times, Life Skills, and the LRC. This year Safer Internet Day falls on Tuesday, February 6th. This is a very short school week at the ABC, therefore in the secondary school, we will be running the event during the week of January 29th, 2018 instead.
The purpose of Safer Internet Day is to focus on the safe, "responsible use of digital technology" and to provide opportunities for students and adults alike, to explore ways in which they as digital citizens can work together to build a better, safer, internet for everyone, everywhere.
This year's Theme is: “Create, Connect and Share Respect: A better internet starts with you”
Many of the resources students will be working with are publically accessible on our secondary school WebFluency site, which is managed through the LRC. Please do feel free to look through the activities, and speak to your children about the importance of being safe, responsible, ethical digital citizens.
The LRC will also have relevant displays inside and out for the community to interact with which will include mini-challenges and puzzles We will also be offering a lunchtime tribal challenge each day, which will be run using Kahoot and school iPads in the LRC.
Below are links to some of our media galleries from past Internet Safety Weeks.
Enjoy!
We had our Grade 9 and Grade 11 Parent Teacher evening last Tuesday. Thank you to all the parents who came and we hope you found it a very useful meeting with your children’s learning at the centre. Please note that when we have Parent Teacher meetings, we ask that students make appointments with all their teachers and please check with your children that they have made them. I have heard from parents that they did not come as their child’s teacher said they didn’t need to meet with them. I want to assure you that is not the case as teachers do not generally say this unless truly pressed for appointment slots, however, this is exception and not the rule. The school recognises that a three way conversation between teacher, parent and student is a very important part in the learning process.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Kind regards,
Natalia Cáceres Escalón
Dates for your diary
January
Today 26th - End of IB and IGCSE Mock exams for Grade 10 & 12 students
Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st - Bicultural Arts Festival (photography)
February
Thursday 1st to Saturday 17th - IGCSE and IB History Trip to Berlin, Germany
Wednesday 7th to Monday 12th - Half Term Break
Saturday 10th to Saturday 17th - Computer Science & ITGS trip to Silicon Valley, San Francisco, U.S. with Grade 11 & 12 students
Monday 12th - INSET day for teachers (School closed for students)
Tuesday 13th - Friday 16th- Grade 7 and 8 exams
Saturday 17th - Bicultural Arts (Drama)
Tuesday 20th - Grade 11 EE Launch Day
Tuesday 20th - Parent Partnership ‘Dealing with Grief and Loss’, 6pm PAC (Whole school)
Thursday 22nd - Grade 7 Empowerment Day, all day
Thursday 22nd - Senior Drama Club Performance, 3pm
Friday 23rd - Cal 2 Reports issued for Grade 10 and 12
Friday 23rd - Senior Drama Club Performance, 6pm
Saturday 24th - Bicultural Arts (Drama)
Saturday 24th Parent Association Carnival. All day
Monday 26th - Bicultural Arts Festival week
Monday 26th to 1st March - Bicultural Arts (Drama and Dance)
Tuesday 27th - 4:30pm Auditorium and Grade 10 IB Options only, 6pm PAC. Grade 10 and 12 Parent/Teacher meetings
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