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
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