Words from the Director
We have enjoyed a long and very productive term which comes to an end this afternoon. The swimming galas have been a real highlight and it has been great to see so many parents supporting our children and the events. Congratulations to everyone who took part either as participant or spectator.
I am often amazed by the community support for our school. This week I would like to thank a couple of our parents Mr. Juan Valiente and Mr. Malnati, the Italian ambassador who gave of their valuable time to contribute to a staff middle leadership programme. They are examples of the many parents who have contributed to our programmes this term and I would like to thank all of you who have shared your tune with us. It is appreciated.
The ABC is a school with a strong tradition of academic success. We are the only school in our part of the world which prepares all students for a full IB Bilingual diploma achieving so much success. Over the next six weeks ABC students will be taking their IB and IGCSE exams as well as end of year exams for the Class of 2020 and 2022. It is very important that all these students use the coming vacation to study and prepare for these important exams. I know you as parents will play your part in encouraging them to do their best by making good use of the vacation.
Thank you to parents who attended the coffee morning with Mrs. Portillo, the school leadership team and myself. It was a very pleasant event.
I hope you all have a great vacation and look forward to seeing you back at school on Monday 29 April. Have fun with your children and take care!
Words from the Head of Primary
Parent Meeting- Thank you to the parents who attended our Internet Safety presentation on Tuesday. I hope the information and possible solutions was helpful in ensuring we keep our children safe from the dangers of the internet. A copy of the presentation can be viewed on this Link
Amazing Facts- What happens on the internet in 60 seconds around the World? View on this Link
Holiday’s- The ABC is closed for the next two weeks. I hope you can spend time with your children and recharge the batteries ready for the last push to the end of the year. If you are traveling, I hope you have a safe trip. School reopens on Monday, April 29th. School is closed on Wednesday, May 1.
Three Way Conferences- It is great seeing so many parents support the 3 way conferences. Having your child explain what they are doing well and their next learning steps is a powerful way to support your child’s learning and achievement. To support children on their journey of learning there needs to be a positive partnership between the school and the home. This provides the foundations of success. If you were unable to attend and wish to have a 3 way conversation, please make an appointment with your child’s teacher.
Book Week- When we return from the Easter break we will be having Book Week. The theme of the week is 'Storytelling' and children will enjoy a variety of activities and visitors during the week. The whole of primary will be using a wonderful picture book 'WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE' by Maurice Sendak and planning for English, Maths and Art activities using the rich themes in the story.
There will also be an opportunity for all children to visit the Book Shops which will be situated in the Upper Primary playground all week. (excluding Wednesday of course, which is a holiday). Parents will also have an opportunity to come into school during the week and read their favourite book to their child's class. Individual class teachers will make the arrangements for their own class. We do hope you enjoy getting involved and promoting a sense of Reading for pleasure with all our children.
Grade 3 Camp- Finally, 3rd Graders had their camping. We all went to Tuscania and started with a steep fun walk around the premises. We linked our camping to our IPC Entry Point: How Humans Work! We learnt about Healthy eating and Healthy lifestyles. We also had a chance to practice Mindfulness activities to relax and learn about the importance of keeping our mental health in a positive state. A doctor came and helped us understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle and getting enough sleep. We ended Friday night with a movie and went to bed around 11:30 pm...well not really!
Written by 3rd Grade Students
Love Books
Window
By Jeannie Baker
A wordless picture book which could provoke much discussion about the effects of humanity on the environment. A view from the same window is seen over a period of twenty years, as a newborn child grows to adulthood, to show the changes that take place. The collage illustrations are almost tactile.
First Grade have finished their swimming galas. Thank you parents for coming to support your children. Congratulations to Ema Velasquez for being the fastest swimmer in First Grade.
Making Sushi in Cooking Extra Curricular class…...yum yum yum!!
Grade 2 having fun at the Swimming Gala
Dates for your diary
Lower Primary
APRIL
Sunday 14th - Extras enrollment finish
Monday 15th - Friday 26th - Easter holidays
Monday 29th - 5th session extracurricular activities begin
Monday 29th - Start of Book Week
Upper Primary
APRIL
Friday 12th - Last day of Term 2
Sunday 14th - Last day to enroll on Session 5
Monday 15th - Easter and Half Term Holiday
Monday 29th - Term 3 - Back to school
Monday 29th - Session 5 starts.
Monday 29th - Start of Book Week
Words from the Head of Secondary
Dear parents and carers,
We have reached the end of a very busy term! Thank you to all the staff, students and parents for making it such a successful one.
This week we celebrated Art week and the LRC Earth week. You can see photographs on these events on these links:
Art Week
By Angélica Hernández- Head of Art Department
From April 8th-12th, we celebrated Art Week. This year we reflected on the environment, taking as a starting point the collective art exhibition TRANSFORMA, with the support of Salvadorean artists, Beatriz Picardo and Negra Álvarez.
Libreria Moderna joined us and shared with our students, small experimental workshops taught by professionals in calligraphy, watercoloured pencils, glazing, pouring, etc.
Salvadorean artists Milton Pocasangre and Hamilton Peña also shared their knowledge in watercolour, and the art of ‘papel picado’.
This was a week which motivated many students to discover new techniques, and make a personal commitment to give new colour to our Planet.
The Apprentice
From María Eugenia Vides- University Counsellor
As part of our Vocational and University Guidance Programme, every year we conduct an activity with educational purposes called “The Apprentice”, with students who will start 10° grade in August.
In order for this activity to be a success we need the support of our professional community, so that our students have the chance to advance in their academic vision and professional plans. The concept of this activity is that for five days, the students take responsibility of an internship/work experience.
This activity will take place between June 10th-14th. We are asking business companies to help us taking students and working with them in this programme. If you, a friend, or family member can support us providing job opportunities for our students, please contact María Eugenia de Vides, Gloria de Caballero, or Lissette de Castro.
Examinations coming up in Term 3- IGCSE, IB, Grade 9 and Grade 11
Please find on the following links information regarding the upcoming examinations. Please note instructions to candidates and all relevant letters Mr Hall, Deputy Head in charge of curriculum, has sent to students and parents. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s Head of Year.
Mobile devices letter- term 3 trial.
All parents were emailed a letter regarding social media and the ban on Mobile devices to school. We thank you in advance for all your support on this very important topic. Any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or your Head of Year.
DÍA DE LA CRUZ
From Mr Alvin Silva- Responsible of HNC and PAES
Cultural traditions have different origins, some are religious, others become law, and there are others which have passed from generation to generation and have become a belief.
On May 3rd we celebrate a cultural festivity with the components described above: Día de la Cruz.
Its origins go back to 313 AD, when Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire, and Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine decided to go to Jerusalem to find the Holy Sepulchre, which was believed to be lost. But during this mission the Holy Cross was found. It was the year 326.
More than a thousand years later, when the Spaniards saw that in Mesoamerica the native people conducted rituals to thank their gods for the arrival of the first rainfalls, they decided to change that tradition and mix the native’s traditions with their Christian beliefs.
That is how Día de la Cruz became a tradition which mixed many aspects: thanksgiving of the native people to God for the first crops; the discovery of a Christian symbol, and the unification of two cultures.
Next May 3rd, the ABC will celebrate this tradition and live out our school value OPEN MINDEDNESS, and we will reflect on the effort made by the people who work the land to grow the fruits of the land and provide us with food. We will also talk about the traditions and customs surrounding the Día de la Cruz celebration, in an effort to know more about our own culture in the same way our ancestors did: experimenting it.
Today we wrapped up Term 2 with our very own “Concurso de Ortografía” which our Spanish department launched this year and where we competed against four other schools. We are delighted to see the enthusiasm of our students and guests and look forward to the results!
From Mrs Maria Eugenia Rossi- Head of Spanish Department
Today we were protagonists of an incredible event: the first intercollegiate spelling contest in Spanish. ABC was the host and participant at the same time. We had the pleasure of welcoming students from the American School, the Panamerican School and the Maya School.
All the participants underwent spelling tests with a high academic challenge. It was exciting to see how the partial and final results reflected a solid and secure knowledge of our mother tongue.
As always in these contests, there are winners, but we must say that they all proudly represented their school and that each participant was a winner in this challenge.
These were the final results:
1st place:
ESCUELA AMERICANA: Gabriela Iraheta. PUNTAJE: 79/90
2nd place:
ACADEMIA BRITÁNICA CUSCATLECA: Gabriela Echeverría. PUNTAJE: 74/90
3rd place:
COLEGIO MAYA: Alfredo Morales. PUNTAJE: 70/90
4th place:
ESCUELA PANAMERICANA: Nahomi Linares. PUNTAJE: 62/90
I end this weekly asking parents to please take a moment over the next two weeks to verify their children’s uniforms. Girls’ skirts probably need to be fixed as they have grown since August and they need to be lengthened. The same goes for boys’ trousers and of course a new proper fitting pair of PE shorts may be in order. We respectfully ask that you as parents remind your children of our uniform expectations and ensure they wear the uniform with pride. On Monday 29th of April we expect to see all girls and boys before 7.00 am to start term 3: girls with no nail varnish and boys cleanly shaved. This is an expectation and we would hate to start Term 3 on a sour note sending students home.
We wish you a fantastic holiday and hope you all find plenty of time to spend together and recharge. Class of 2019 and class of 2021 should be using this time wisely and investing time to revise and properly prepare for the international examinations which are just round the corner.
All the very best to you all.
Kind regards,
Natalia Cáceres Escalón
Head of Secondary School
Dates for your diary
April
Friday 12th - Last Day of Term Two
Monday 15th to Friday 26th - Easter (end of term) holidays
Monday 29th - First Day of Term Three - IGCSE exams start for Grade 10 students. Please arrive punctually!
Monday 29th to Thursday 13th June - IGCSE exams for Grade 10 students
Monday 29th- Friday 3rd May- last week of lessons for Grade 12
May
Wednesday 1st of May- National holiday- School closed
Friday 3rd May- IGCA Jeans day
