20: Friday 25th January 2019

Words from the Director

I am delighted to report that we have just received news from the Council of International Schools that we have been reaccredited and a long list of commendations regarding the quality of our work to provide an international education experience for our children. I would like to congratulate my staff and the whole community for this achievement. 

We will be welcoming the Pre Kinder Class of 2034 for assessment tomorrow morning. It is an important time for them as they start to make friendships, some of which will last for as well as starting their journey towards being ABC ROCs. The community spirit and sense of being part of a team is a vital part of our community based education. In my role I am privileged to participate in this journey for many ABC students. I get to see their awe and wonder as our youngest learners explore their environment acquiring skills and following their curiosity and interest. It is a passion and a sense of fulfillment which we want our children to maintain throughout their lives. I also see how these skills are built on through our academic curriculum to develop the skills and attitudes needed to excel as our children move towards the Bilingual IB diploma. These experiences and this learning journey frame our children for the rest of their lives and we can see as an example of the end product, the great attitude and achievements of the Class of 2019. So the Class of 2034 are taking an important step this week and we are looking forward to welcoming them.

As a school which believes in developing all of the talents of our children we take sport, music and drama as essential parts of our curriculum. Our main focus is to ensure children are motivated to participate in these activities so they can discover their abilities. We also seek to ensure they become the best they want to be with high quality teaching and coaching. This requires commitment on all parts and we see it on a daily basis as children participate in sports practice, music lessons, drama rehearsals for Bugsy Malone and preparation for the regional Mathcounts next weekend. This afternoon we will be supporting the varsity boys football team, who are undefeated so far this season, as they play their latest Bilingual league game against our old friends the EA. Earlier this week our varsity girls team performed superbly against the EA. 

I am ending this week with news of a celebration of the life of one of our ROCs. Diego Mina will be especially remembered in a mass on Saturday afternoon by many of us. He left a big mark in us as we remember his bravery, his compassion for others, his curiosity about the world and above all his friendship which is sorely missed. We continue to think and pray for him and his family.

I wish you all a safe and enjoyable weekend with your children.

MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS 2019

We are pleased to inform you that this year, one more time, we have our Festival of Arts, in which students from eight bilingual institutions are participating. Registrations for enrolment in the Festival of Arts which culminates with public performances on 28 and 29 March are now open. You should have already received an email from the secretary in your section with all the information and the online registration form. 

If you are interested in having your child participating in the multicultural Festival, please complete the online form no later than today, January 25, 2019. You must also pay $15.00 US dollars (non-refundable) for enrolment, which includes the Festival T-shirt and all the workshops. Payment will need to be made through the school's cashier.

Words from the Head of Primary

I want to start by apologising for the error I made last week regarding start times. Prepa and Grade 1 children start at 7.15am with Kinder and Pre-Kinder starting at 7.30am. Upper Primary students start at 7.10am.

A number of our teachers are undertaking a review of the reporting system in Primary. As a school we believe that effective reporting is a dialogue between parents, teachers and children in order to support the learning and progress of each and every child in the school. In order to make our reporting system more effective for all stakeholders the Primary School is beginning a review into how we report to parents. The first part of the review is looking at the December and July written reports. In order to do this we need your help. 

A questionnaire will be coming to parents soon and we ask that you answer the questions as fully as possible so we get a good idea about your feelings towards the Primary School reporting. Thank you for your cooperation. 

IPC- Two Amazing Entry Points this Week

2nd graders had an fantastic Entry Point for their new unit CHOCOLATE. The focus of the Entry Point was for the students to experience chocolate using their 5 senses. They did some predicting (guessing) activities and found out that chocolate can start as a solid, when heated turns to liquid and when cooled again it turns into a solid. They also discovered the melting point of chocolate.

Sometimes people choose to move and sometimes they are forced to move. Both can have an impact on their societies at home and places that they leave behind. There is also an impact on those that they join at the end of their journey. Students in 5th Grade had the opportunity to have a “forced migration” experience through our Moving People Entry Point. They had to evacuate because a war was taking place in their country. A sad reality for too many children in our World today! In our entry point they had to start their walk towards a safe refugee camp in Mexico. They had to keep their families together and be hopeful they would all make it safely through the journey.

The INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP FAIR was a great success this year. We had a gorgeous warm day and blue sky in a morning. The Fair was full of activities, joy and enthusiasm, which brought many benefits to our students. This was an educational experience where children worked hard at their stalls but also had much fun.

We would like to thank all parents for participating and supporting this Fair. A big thank you also to all Lower Primary parents who sent their jars to make our Tombola another success.

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 initial placement is confirmed.

In December we ran the Toy and the Shoe Box Campaigns in Primary. This yearly initiative has enabled the ABC to make a big difference to the lives of many children this past Christmas. The boxes and the toys were once again given to sick children at Hospital San Rafael in Santa Tecla. You can see the happiness on their faces. We hope this present made their illness a little less heavy.

MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS 2019

We are pleased to inform you that this year we have our Festival of Arts, in which students from eight bilingual institutions are participating. Registrations for enrolment in the Festival of Arts are now open.

You should have already received an email from the secretary in your section with all the information and the online registration forms. If you are interested in having your child participating in the Multicultural Festival, please complete the online form no later than today, January 25, 2019. You must also pay $15.00 US dollars (non-refundable) for enrolment, which includes the Festival T-shirt and all the workshops. Payment will need to be made through the school's cashier

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary

Saturday 26th: Pre Kinder Entrance Evaluations Class 2034

Friday 1st : Kinder Gonzalez Assembly

Tuesday 5th: Field Trip Kinder González

Wednesday 6th: Field Trip Kinder Rampone

Thursday 7th: Field Trip Kinder Suarez

Upper Primary

January

Friday 25th - Grade 3 Camping - postponed

Wednesday 30th - 2nd Pineda Assembly

Wednesday 30th: 2nd Pineda Assembly

Thursday 31st : COESAL meeting 7:30 am (Parents only) - PAC

February

Wednesday 6th: 3rd Navas Assembly

Thursday 7th: COESAL meeting 7:30 am (mother- daughter/seminar room, father-son/Lecture Theatre)

Wednesday 13th: 2nd Hernández Assembly

Thursday 14th: COESAL meeting 7:30 am (Students only)

Wednesday 20th: Spanish Team Assembly

Words from the Head of Secondary

Dear parents and carers,

Our grade 7s and Grade 8s have finished their exams and we look forward to seeing their results! Next week our Grade 10 and Grade 12s will receive their MOCKS exam results, via a mock results day activity (G10 on Monday and G12 on Tuesday) This will be a perfect time to reflect and learn from their performance and set targets in order to raise their results even more in preparation for the real International examinations in May. Good luck!

Concerns

We continue to be concerned over various incidents we are dealing with regarding the wrong use of technology and social media. It is concerning to see that this spans across all Grades and ages. 

I would like to ask your collaboration discussing the use of social media and electronic devices with your children, as when you give your child a mobile device which surpasses our school’s "firewall," you are trusting that they will be mature enough to handle that tool. 

I also take this opportunity to remind parents of Grade 6 and Grade 7 students that they are not allowed to bring a mobile phone into school. This is a measure we have taken with our students’ wellbeing in mind, and well backed up by studies which demonstrate the detrimental effect on teenager’s behaviour, especially while at school. Allowing students to have access via their smartphones to social platforms while at school only serves to distract them from their learning opportunities and disconnect them from personal, live communication. Thank you for your collaboration with this important matter.

Dangerous Apps

We have become aware of an app called TELLONYM (17+) which our children are downloading to their phones. This (and many other apps) have a requirement to be 16 years or older to legally download them. This particular app is being used to make harsh comments of others in an anonymous way. Children are also sharing links of this site through their Snapchat and that enables them to promote others to download that app. Here is a very sad video made by a parent who lost their daughter on this topic. I must warn that it contains disturbing scenes but it is aimed at adults.

Please can you take a moment over the weekend to check your child’s mobile phone and talk to them about the dangers of posting and the digital footprint they are leaving behind with every photo, comment or video the upload or comment on, etc. 

Another suggestion is that you check the # hashtags your child uses as these work as an invitation for the social platforms to make content of those topics more readily available to them in their homepages. This means that if your child uses words which are of a serious nature, information about that topic will become available to them. They are then left to make sense of what is sent their way through their social media. 

Next week we celebrate Internet safety week and we will be addressing these issues at Assemblies and Life Skills sessions as well as via tutor periods and around campus. 

On that note, I invite you to please make a note in your agendas now for our upcoming Parent Partnership evening which is coming up very soon.

More information will be sent regarding the topics but the titles should be enough to remind us of the importance of attending the session and taking advantage of the opportunity to discuss with other parents and our team about them. 

We look forward to seeing many of you there!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Kind regards,

Natalia Cáceres Escalón

Dates for your diary

January

Friday 25th - Last day for Grades 7 and 8 exams

February

Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd - Mathscount competition in american School

Tuesday 5th - Parent Partnership Evening- Risky teen behaviours (all grades) - 6.00 pm, PAC

Wednesday 6th - Grade 10 Learning review Day, LRC

Tuesday 12th - Secondary DVA, 7:30 p.m. PAC

Friday 15th - Drop by Drop jeans Day

Tuesday 19th - Grade 11/12 Learning Review Day

Wednesday 20th to Saturday 2nd March - Geography trip to Iceland

Friday 22nd - Last Day of first half of term 2

Monday 25th to Friday 1st March - Half Term holidays - school closed

Tuesday 26th to Tuesday 5th March - KS4/5 New York MUN Trip

19: Friday 18th January 2019

Words from the Director

We are looking forward to seeing many of you at the Primary Friendship Fair tomorrow. I know the children are excited at the opportunity to show how much they care and are a force for positive change in our school world. These experiences help our children understand our school values and put them into action. Our support as adults is vital for our children to understand the wider context of our school values. Thank you for your support tomorrow.

This week we have been focusing on leadership in school and it coincides with our celebration of great leaders as well as the El Salvador peace accords. It seems to me that good leadership and promoting peace in our world are very close to each other. Particularly at a time of disagreement and conflicts we look for leadership which builds compromise and a shared vision. On that note I would like to wish all US citizens a happy Martin Luther King day on Monday. In terms of leadership feel our school should be proud of our student leaders and their commitment to work with the whole community and make our ABC community world a better place. It is also vital they see good role models around them to help them understand the potential for building a more peaceful and sustainable world.

We have a very exciting term ahead of us with many activities and opportunities. I would like to highlight a number of events aimed at parents which need your participation. We have a number of safeguarding and support sessions planned under our parent partnership umbrella. I would urge you to attend if you can as being aware of issues and potential pitfalls for young people is a great way to avoid them. In my office unfortunately at times I meet parents of children who are in trouble for an activity which we have discussed preventing in school but perhaps was not attended by these parents. If the clock could have been rewinded their attendance may have prevented the incident. It is important as parents that we give time to attend parent partnership events and learn from each other how to protect our children from the temptations of our age. This is another example of how we can show teamwork and leadership in our community.

I hope you all have a great weekend with your children.

Words from the Head of Primary

Tomorrow is our Primary International Friendship Fair being held at ABC. I’m sure it is going to be a wonderful family day. My thanks go to the organising committee, Primary staff and our wonderful students for working so hard to make tomorrow a special day. Also a BIG thank you to our lovely parents, who have supported the Fair. 

As it is the start of a new calendar year, I would like the whole Primary school to make an extra effort with punctuality and attendance. Prepa to Grade 5 children should be in their classroom by 7:10 am. Parents should aim to get their child to school by 7.00 am. 

There are often significant educational events in school such as exit or entry points, knowledge harvests, formal assessments or assessment projects and learning tasks as well as informal assessments. If a student misses the introduction to a particular subject such as a mathematical concept it can lead to misunderstanding, which is not helpful. We try to be accommodating with regards to catching up after absence due to illness. Equally important is that students are missing learning experiences when absent from school. One of our school Values is Respect and we would appreciate families respecting the start time of school! Thank you for your cooperation.

From January 6th to 13th, 23 children from Upper Primary embarked upon the annual ski trip to Mammoth Mountain. After a morning flight and beautiful scenic drive, through the Mojave Desert, the group arrived into Mammoth on the evening of the 6th. Having snowed just over 3 feet, prior to our arrival, conditions were perfect for both ski and snowboarding. On the second day we met our instructors, 2 of whom have been leading our groups for the past couple of years. 

After getting fitted for skis and snowboards the children headed out in their groups for their 1st lessons of the week. After 4 years of running the trip we now have a number of different abilities and all children were able to ride in groups which suited their level of experience and enjoyment. As the week went on we got to experience beautiful sunny days, and some more snow on Wednesday. The children all enjoyed their ski and snowboard experiences and by the end of the week everyone had ridden a black diamond slope! This was due to the amazing progress the children made and the skilled instruction we received.

However, the fun doesn’t stop on the slopes. Evening activities included: 

• A trip to the bowling alley to play tenpin bowling in teams before a pizza party. 
• Snow tubing and hot chocolate at Wolly’s snow park. Where we raced, span and laughed our way down the slopes of the tube park. 
• A relaxing evening at the cinema, where we chose a film and had popcorn.
• Ice skating, an exhilarating new experience for many of the children. 

We returned on Monday morning tired but very happy, having learnt a new skill and having had a wonderful. Conquerors of Mammoth Mountain. Video coming soon!!

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary

Saturday 19th: International Friendship fair

Saturday 26th: Pre Kinder Entrance Evaluations Class 2034

Upper Primary

Saturday 19th - International Friendship Fair

Friday 25th - Grade 3 Camping

Wednesday 30th - 2nd Pineda Assembly

Words from the Head of Secondary

Dear parents and carers,

Our Grade 10 and Grade 12 have completed their MOCKS exams and we now await the feedback from teachers to set targets and continue to work hard for the international examinations.

Grade 7 and Grade 8 start their exams next week. It is very important to remember that this process is an opportunity for learning. It is based on the feedback, and not the grade, that students understand their strengths and areas to work on. Please support them at home ensuring they are revising but also that they are getting a good night's sleep and keeping hydrated and eating well. The schedule is here Students will attend normal lessons when not in exams and should be allowed to revise independently. 

Punctuality and attendance

We are becoming increasingly concerned over the number of students who are absent, come into school late but also students who leave before the end of the day to attend medical appointments. This is very problematic for us as the message our students get is that school is not a priority and the rules and expectations we have are not something they need to be concerned about.

Studies demonstrate that student absenteeism or lateness to school is negatively related to academic self-perception, attitudes towards teacher and school, goal valuation, motivation/ self-regulation, and academic performance. 

While we understand that each child may have to be away from school at times due to illness or family related needs, this should and must be an exception to the rule and not be acceptable otherwise.

Please note that in Secondary, students who miss lessons due to their or their parents choice to be absent to school, MUST catch up in their own time and before they attend their next lesson in order to be up to date. If students are not in school due to illness, teachers will provide work after the third day of absence, and a medical certificate must be brought in, as it is recognised that if a student is too ill to be in school, they will not be able to be working from home. 

We are analysing the rates of absence and tardiness and parents will be contacted by their Head of Year to discuss this. We thank you in advance for your collaboration.

DVA Reminder for all Participating Students

The final day to turn in videos is Friday, January 25th, 2019. 

Please make sure you email, or upload and share your final video to a member of the DVA Team, by this date. Here is the link to the official website for further information.

Have a wonderful and restful weekend.

Kind regards,

Natalia Cáceres Escalón

Dates for your diary

January

Friday 18th - End of Mock exams for Grades 10 & 12 students

Wednesday 23rd to Friday 25th - Grade 7 & 8 Exams week

18: Friday 11th January 2019

Words from the Director

The new year is stretching wonderfully ahead of us. This period is a real opportunity for all of us to reflect on our plans and hopes for the future. What do we want to improve? How are we going to make this year even better than last year? What really matters to us in our lives? All of us have a responsibility to help our young children feel positive about the future and their prospects. As adults we are sometimes guilty of being gloomy or pessimistic so let us all think about focusing on positive thoughts for 2019. Our children need that positivity and hope. Somos Paz is a great example of a way to see a better future for everyone. We will be promoting their message over the coming month.

Here at school we are confident that 2019 is going to be a special year. We are awaiting the feedback from our CIS accreditation visit last month and we have exciting plans for continuing to develop our school. The ABC is always growing and developing and I know it will continue in a positive direction over this year and into the future. 

I would like to thank so many people for the successful Operation Pupusa. In particular our ex head student and proud Exabrit Danny Jazrawi as well as our own StuCo team. Ana Sofia Colorado has contributed her reflection on the project on the ABC Newsblog which I would encourage you to read on this link. 

Following a delay with our publishers we are pleased to be sending home the ABC Yearly for 2017/18. We hope you enjoy the memories it brings back. We only send one yearbook per family and some classes may receive their yearbooks on Monday.

Please take note that this year’s musical will be Bugsy Malone. It promises to be a fun and entertaining show for the whole family.

Words from the Head of Primary

Welcome back! I hope everyone managed to enjoy the three week holiday. The children and staff have returned refreshed and ready to continue their teaching and learning journey. ABC is a busy school with many learning opportunities for your children. It is wonderful to see our students taking advantage of these opportunities.

As part of the teaching and learning process Assessment is vital for teachers to understand where each child is at compared to the objectives being taught. Assessment takes many forms- observations, conferences, one on one talks, quizzes, group work, homework and much more. We also believe that with evidence, teachers make Overall Teacher Judgements (OTJ) about what a student’s strengths are and what areas to work on. 

Assessment has several purposes. It helps teachers plan learning programmes geared to the needs of their students. It gives the students an idea of how they are going and what their next Learning Steps will be. It ensures parents receive reports that indicate how well your child is doing and what support can be given at home. It gives management an understanding of the trends of achievement for each Grade, gender and whole of Primary. And it gives information to the Director and Board of Governors so they can make resourcing decisions that supports teaching and learning. 

Medical Records- Thank you to parents who have responded to completing and returning the student medical forms. We still have a number of parents who have yet to return these forms. THEY MUST BE RETURNED TO SCHOOL ON AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Thank you for your cooperation in this very important safety issue.

Today in 4th Grade we started the unit Look Hear! with an Entry Point in which parents together with the children needed to create a 2D/3D work of the eye and the ear using different materials and their creativity. The activity was a success and children got to learn lots.

4th Quijano participated in an activity linked to the value: Leader and Team Player. Being a leader and team player takes time and effort but we have to put this value into practice every day. We help each other when playing and learning. We work as team to achieve our goals in school, as a family and as part of our society. 

Due to bad weather this year the International Fair had to be rescheduled for Saturday 19th January. All students are expected to attend to support their classes and to enjoy the entertainment and the refreshments. This event is supporting our Curriculum and giving students a chance to practise their entrepreneurial skills. The raffle tickets that were sold by the children last year will be in the raffle draw, which will be held during the fair.

Please make sure all Lower Primary children have brought a filled jar for the tombola. Once again thank you for your continued help and support in ensuring the success of this rewarding and exciting annual event.

In December we ran the Shoe Box Campaign in Primary. This wonderful initiative has enabled the ABC to make a big difference to the lives of many children this past Christmas. The boxes were given to less fortunate children, who without our help, may not have received any presents this Christmas. By their faces you can tell we accomplished our mission. 

Cafeteria Orders- This week has seen quite a few students not get their lunch on time. All these students did get their food eventually. Please ensure you make your order before 9.30am each day and USE THE CAFETERIA EMAIL ADDRESS only- cafeteria@abc-net.edu.sv

Dates for your diary

Lower Primary

Saturday 12th: Come & play Prospective PK parents & children.

Saturday 19th: International Friendship fair

Saturday 26th: Pre Kinder Entrance Evaluations Class 2034

Upper Primary

Wednesday 16th - 2nd Pineda Assembly

Saturday 19th - International Friendship Fair

Wednesday 23rd - 2nd Spanish Assembly

Friday 25th - Grade 3 Camping

Wednesday 30th - 4th Quijano 

Words from the Head of Secondary

Happy new year to everyone!

It is great to be back to the hustle and bustle of school life! Our Grade 11 students are in Antigua on their Geography trip and we look forward to hearing from them about what they have learnt. It has been great to catch up with staff and students and hear about their Christmas break. I am so proud of many of our young people’s contribution to the Operación Pupusa campaign on the 23rd and 24th of December; truly embracing the Christmas spirit. It did not stop there! Immediately upon coming back we are already in more students led campaigns which will help those less fortunate. You may have seen the boxes around the carparks where we are collecting jeans (and any other items of clothing in good state) as well as the “drop by drop” campaign which will lead into a Jeans day soon. We do hope you can all collaborate and motivate your children to take part.

As of Monday we have our temporary prefects on duty in the car parks. Our Grade 12 students are in the process of completing their Mock examinations, as are our Grade 10 students. We wish them the very best of luck! 

Please note that the Primary school’s International Friendship Fair is taking place next Saturday and ALL ITEMS REMAINING IN THE LOST AND FOUND BOXES WILL BE DONATED TO THEM TO SELL AND RAISE FUNDS FOR ‘FAIRS TO EDUCATE.’ We will clear out the lost and found on Tuesday 15th in the afternoon. 

We have heard from some of our students that they are possibly traveling to Panama to witness the Pope Francis’ visit and will therefore be away from school. Please can we ask you to contact your child’s Head of Year if this is the case so we are aware of their absence. Grade 7 and 8 in particular as this visit takes place over their Cal exam week. 

Regarding the Grade 7 and 8 Exams which start the week after next, please visit the Link to find out more information about them. 

We would like to remind you the schedule for the G10 and G12 mocks exams. In the following link you will find our expectations, particularly about uniform, which need to be followed.Link

ALSO, rehearsals have now began for the 2019 ABC Musical which this year is Bugsy Malone. There will be a matinee performance for our students only, then two evening performances for the whole ABC community. Tickets will go on sale next week from the Secondary office and there will also be opportunities to place adverts and personal messages in the programme. Details to follow. LINK

Finally, I would like to ask for parents’ collaboration with checking your children’s uniforms and ensuring they are still the right fit appropriate for school. It is normal that after 6 months, they have outgrown the length of skirts, trousers and PE shorts in particular. Please can you take a moment over the weekend and review this and purchase new uniforms if need be. This also is a good time to remind boys that they should be cleanly shaved to come into school every single morning and girls should not be wearing make-up or nail varnish to school. Thank you for your collaboration in this matter.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Kind regards,

Natalia Cáceres Escalón

Dates for your diary

January

Monday 7th - Back to school

Wednesday 9th to Friday 18th - Grade 12 & 10 in Mock Exams

Wednesday 9th to Saturday 12th - Grade 11 Geography IA Field Trip to Antigua, Guatemala

Tuesday 15th - Grade 7 Moral, Urban and Civic class from 2 to 3 p.m. in ABCLT

Thursday 17th - Grade 6 Moral, Urban and Civic class from 2 to 3 p.m. in ABCLT 

Wednesday 23rd to Friday 25th - Grade 7 & 8 Exams week