From the Director
We have just heard that our Secondary Mathrelay team has just won the competition today at the EA and congratulations to them. There is a brief report on the Newsblog.
It was nice to see so many of you at the Parent association meeting on Wednesday. If you were unable to attend you can see the presentation on the parent page of our website. Mr. Salvador Saguero has sent a letter of thanks to those involved with more information. Please see it on this link. I am still hoping for some parent volunteers to help with our CIS committees. If you are willing to volunteer please let me know.
I would like to publicly thank the Parents Association for their active support of the school and commitment to building a strong community. They are preparing for the Summer Carnival on Saturday 24 February which I hope we will all be able to support.
I have been delighted to personally witness a number of girls sporting successes this week. We are pleased to see more girls participating in sports events and want to do all we can to continue their interest in team sport events. A many of you know the ABC hosted a Ted talk event at the end of last term and one of the contributors was one of our Grade 5 girls who talked about the importance of girls playing team sports. There is a link on our website. It’s amazing to see such confidence and clarity of thought in one so young! There is a link to the ABC hosted TED talks on the ABC blog via this link.
In our values program this week we have been reflecting on our use of the internet and making it a better place. In particular how we can make sure we are using the internet in a positive way. As adults we need to lead by example. We need to use social media for positive thoughts and friendly supportive posts and help our children to do so. We can make our world a kinder place. I really enjoyed the tweets by Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniaki this week after Caroline won the Australian Open. Their tweets showed that even rivals can be great friends and work for each other. The internet is a great place to share good things. Please help us ensure your children are being kind online and are sharing positive thoughts.
Earlier this term we witnessed an amazing Circus from the Class of 2019. It was a great show. In the light of all the preparation and traditions that have grown up around the Circus we are carrying out some surveys to find the attitudes of different sections of our community towards the Circus so we can plan for its evolution in future. While in the subject of arts the Bicultural Arts Festival will be hosted at the ABC this year because of a booking cancellation by the Teatro Presidente. There will be performances of drama in the PAC and dance in the Auditorium on Thursday 1 March and music in the Auditorium on Friday 2 March. The organizers of the Festival have decided we will be charging $2 per entrance ticket to help raise funds to support the arts in our schools. We hope to see many of you supporting the students in these shows.
Our annual STEAMFEST is coming up, and we are very excited to see it during its third edition. STEAMFest is a whole school event that fosters a love for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math and it is truly amazing to see what our students create in these fields. If you are interested in a sponsorship opportunity for this event, please contact Anabella Soto (anabellasoto@abc-net.edu.sv) or Jen García (jennifergarcia@abc-net.edu.sv) .
I hope you all have a pleasant weekend. On a personal note I am looking forward to seeing the MathCounts competition hosted by our friends at the Escuela Americana on Saturday and of course the Super Bowl on Sunday!!!
Primary News
Dear Parents and Carers,
Grade 3 had a wonderful camp experience at Tenerife last weekend. They played games, worked as a team, told stories and did activities arranged by our PE instructors. Click here to read our News Blog account of the trip.
Here you can see some of the stylish nightwear that the children brought for the camp. Pijamas were never such fun when I was a child!
The camp, all peaceful once the children had all gone to sleep….exhausted.
Thank you to those staff and parents who took part in the camp and gave the students such a wonderful time.
We are starting to get ready for the Upper Primary Sports and Family morning. The children had their rehearsal today to make sure they know which way to go round the course and are clear what they have to do. It should be a lovely event so please make sure your diaries are clear for that day. Upper Primary Sports and Family morning 17th February at school.
I have spoken to upper primary girls again this week to remind them that all shoes must have a fastening to keep them on, no slip-ons or pumps, and their hair must be tied up all day. In every school head lice is a potential issue and loose flowing hair is one way in which it can be transmitted. Please encourage your daughters to keep their hair tied up at all times in school.
Tonight the Grade 1 students have their sleepover in the PAC. Another event that the students love. They do get very tired though. So please do not plan to do too much on Saturday. Grade 5s will be camping on Monday at Puerto Zuelo I have seen their itinerary and they are in for a great but energetic time.
In Upper Primary Valentine Grams (friendship grams) are being sold for the students to send to their friends. If you are sending your child in with money for these please make sure the money is in a named and sealed container/envelope.
Our Secondary team is also looking for feedback regarding the ABC Circus that takes place each year, and are interested in the feedback from Primary parents. Please take 5 minutes to fill out this survey so your input can be taken into account for future productions.
School will be closed for the half term break next week from the 7th February. Students return to school on the 13th February. Please make sure you have all of your child care arrangements in place and that there will be some stimulating activities arranged for the students to do. Staff will be taking a well earned rest to make sure they are at their best for the rest of the term.
Have a great week and half term holiday.
Best wishes,
Sharon Short
Head of Primary
Safeguarding Officer
Dates for your diary
Lower Primary
February
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
February
Thursday 1st - UP Valentine Grams/ Madres Enlace (Thu- Fri)
Monday 5th - 5th Grade Camping at Portezuelo (Mon-Tue)
Wednesday 7th to Monday 12th - Half Term Break
Monday 12th - INSET day for teachers (School closed for students)
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 can’t believe it has already been a month since we came back from the holidays and so much has happened! Memorably, we had the class of 2019 Circus and I take this opportunity to mention that we are reviewing how we run the tradition of the Circus to ensure it is an enriching and positive experience for our students and community. If you have children between Grades 6-10, please take 5 minutes to complete this survey so we can take your feedback into account for future productions. If you are a current Grade 11 parent, please fill out this survey.
From Mrs Bradburn- Head of Maths Department
MATHCOUNTS AND MATHRELAY
We wish our ABC team of 12 exceptional maths students the very best of luck as they compete against 19 schools from all over Central America at la Escuela Americana today and tomorrow, Saturday 3rd of February.
They have worked incredibly hard training three times a week to gain a place in our team.
Come and join us this Saturday from 11:30 AM to 2:PM and see the top ten Mathletes in the final countdown round which will bring this exciting competition to a close!
We wish to thank Mr Mario Cañas and Ms Nesrin Ward for their untiring effort and commitment to our MathCount students.
In December, a group of G12 students organised the first ever TEDxYouth event in El Salvador at the ABC! The event was well attended and it was a wonderful opportunity for us to see our students, exabrits like Roberto Meléndez and even some parents, take up this great challenge and present. One of the presentations was delivered by Maria Celeste Ayala and Luciana Araujo and in case you did not have the chance to attend the event, you can watch their presentation here. I am really looking forward to our next TEDxYouth event! Do not miss it!
From Mr Hall- Deputy Head in charge of Curriculum
Grade 10 and 12 students recently completed their ‘mock’ examinations. These examinations are referred to as 'mock' since they are an attempt to duplicate the situation that will arise when all Grade 10 and 12 students take their external examinations in May and June. Although our students are assessed in many ways during the cal, research has shown that the simulated exam experience helps to motivate students to start their revision early and allows them to practice and refine the revision skills they will need in the summer. It also allows them to experience the pressures of working ‘under exam conditions’ and will highlight subjects and topics that require improvement.
This year, for the first time, students will also experience a ‘mock’ results session on Tuesday. The intention is to simulate as closely as possible the experience students will have in August when they receive their final IB or IGCSE grades. We hope that the experience of getting a set of results will enable them to both feel a sense of achievement and encourage them to continue to focus on preparing for the final examinations and ensuring success in the summer.
We said farewell to our staff and students who are on their way to Berlin! We will keep you informed and updated and parents have access to the trip blog. Next Tuesday our staff and students involved in the New York trip will be heading off. Safe travels and Bon voyage!
Today Mr Pike held a meeting with cast and crew members of our Musical “We Will Rock You.” Please encourage your children to participate! There is still time! We are very much looking forward to this exciting production.
I would like to finish off by reminding you that next week is a short one due to our Half-term break. I hope you have a wonderful time with your families and take this chance to recharge batteries and be ready for a 7.00 am start on Tuesday 13th!
Kind regards,
Natalia Cáceres Escalón
Dates for your diary
February
Thursday 1st to Saturday 17th - IGCSE and IB History Trip to Berlin, Germany
Friday 2nd - Sat 3rd - Mathscounts competition at the EA
Tuesday 6th to Sunday 11th - Grade 10 & 11 students, Business/Economics trip to New York, U.S.
Wednesday 7th to Monday 12th - Half Term Break
Monday 12th- INSET day for teachers - School closed for students
Saturday 10th to Saturday 17th - Grade 11 & 12 students, Computer Science & ITGS trip to Silicon Valley, San Francisco.
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 9 ‘PAESITA’
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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