What should be the number one priority of a great school?….To ensure that its students fulfill their academic potential?….To develop rounded individuals with strong values-sets and great interpersonal skills? These are worthy ambitions no doubt but they are not what our top priority should be. Our top priority should be to do everything we can to make sure that your children are safe and happy. And I must say that since I have been at the ABC I have been thoroughly impressed with the integrity, even passion, with which this mission is embraced. A couple of weeks ago myself and two of my fellow Safeguarding Officers, Mr. Nevan Bridge and Mrs. Ana Mena, attended an advanced level Child Protection course in Panama led by a world-renowned trainer in the field. It was certainly a valuable experience: it is always good to share experiences with fellow professionals and hear about the latest legislation and guidance in what is a very difficult and complex area. However, what became very clear quite quickly is that the ABC is very well placed in terms of our policies, processes, knowledge and skill sets.
Sometimes schools could do a better job of communicating effectively with stakeholders about the good work they do. Did you know that a team of five Safeguarding Officers (besides the aforementioned there is also Ms. Carmen Chávez and Ms. Natalia Cáceres) meets every week in my office to review our safeguarding concerns and to refine our policies and practices. Did you know that all teaching staff must undergo regular Child Protection training? Did you know that we also commit to training our ancillary and administrative staff on Child Protection training? Did you know that all workers on the school site are carefully background checked? Did you know that detailed records of every single safeguarding case are kept in secure files under lock and key?
You know, no generation of young people has ever been more vulnerable, more at risk, than the current one. The statistics, I am afraid, are pretty bleak and clearly bear this out. The main causes of this, of course, are media saturation and the internet. This is one of the main reasons why mobile phones are not allowed to be used in school (and your continued support with this would be greatly appreciated!). In addition, I encourage us all to revisit what arrangements we make at home for safe and supervised use of the internet by our children. One of the more insidious consequences of our modern digital, media-saturated age is depression. The incidence of depression amongst teenagers in particular is significantly on the rise so we all need to be vigilant and seek advice if we are concerned. And speaking of advice, do please remember that the Safeguarding team is there to support you in this way. I do assure you that the team is very experienced, highly trained and ready to support and will always have the best interests of the child at heart.
Stephen Lang
Director
Words from the Head of Primary
We are lucky to have a cafeteria that sells healthy food which meets the government's guidelines. Some of our students forget to come to the cafeteria or they were not aware a lunch had been ordered. Please let your children know if lunch has been ordered. Unfortunately I’ve noticed how much food is being wasted by children who have a lunch order. Food has been ordered, but sometimes your child does not like the food on the plate! Please talk to your child before ordering their food, so they get food they like. We strongly suggest that any food left over is put in a plastic bag and goes home to be eaten.
The world we live in has a number of ways for us to communicate with each other...Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, etc. Many of you may have friends or relatives who are also teachers at ABC. To ensure the safety and professionalism of our teachers, the school policy states that all official school communication will be via the school’s email system, which means staff currently can only respond to emails. This allows the school to maintain a record of all communication and that the messages between a teacher and a parent are strictly professional. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Lost for Words by Aoife Walsh
When Dallas finds out that the local library is threatened with closure, at first she is reluctant to get involved even though it had meant so much to her when she was younger. There is a very personal reason for this which we become aware of as she shares her thoughts and feelings and we get to know her family and friends. However, with encouragement from those around her – including family, teachers and the librarian at Queen Street library – Dallas becomes an activist for the cause and gives a passionate speech at her school assembly. Dallas has to deal with considerable change in her life, including the death of her mother which has happened before this story begins, but the characters are so well drawn that the novel never feels overloaded with ‘issues’, and there is a lot of humour in the dialogue with her friends Aiza and Ruby and their contemporaries at school.
Dates for your diary
Lower Primary
September
Friday 13th - 1st Ware assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Monday 16th - Independence Day (School closed)
Tuesday 17th - Staff INSET Day (School closed for students)
Friday 20th - 1st. Padilla assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Saturday 21st - Prospective Parents (PK 2020) Open Morning
Friday 27th - 1st. Carbajal assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Saturday 28th - Kinder Curriculum Morning - 7:30am
Upper Primary
Words from the Head of Secondary
Dear parents and carers,
We started the week with our final two Know Your School sessions for our IB years. On Monday in particular, it was a fantastic start as we welcomed our class of 2021 to their official start to the school after their spectacular Circus “Arcadia” and also we recognised the students who achieved a Roll of Honour in their IGCSE examinations.
Congratulations to:
SENJI SHIBATA TAKAHASI
Director
Words from the Head of Primary
We are lucky to have a cafeteria that sells healthy food which meets the government's guidelines. Some of our students forget to come to the cafeteria or they were not aware a lunch had been ordered. Please let your children know if lunch has been ordered. Unfortunately I’ve noticed how much food is being wasted by children who have a lunch order. Food has been ordered, but sometimes your child does not like the food on the plate! Please talk to your child before ordering their food, so they get food they like. We strongly suggest that any food left over is put in a plastic bag and goes home to be eaten.
The world we live in has a number of ways for us to communicate with each other...Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, etc. Many of you may have friends or relatives who are also teachers at ABC. To ensure the safety and professionalism of our teachers, the school policy states that all official school communication will be via the school’s email system, which means staff currently can only respond to emails. This allows the school to maintain a record of all communication and that the messages between a teacher and a parent are strictly professional. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Lost for Words by Aoife Walsh
When Dallas finds out that the local library is threatened with closure, at first she is reluctant to get involved even though it had meant so much to her when she was younger. There is a very personal reason for this which we become aware of as she shares her thoughts and feelings and we get to know her family and friends. However, with encouragement from those around her – including family, teachers and the librarian at Queen Street library – Dallas becomes an activist for the cause and gives a passionate speech at her school assembly. Dallas has to deal with considerable change in her life, including the death of her mother which has happened before this story begins, but the characters are so well drawn that the novel never feels overloaded with ‘issues’, and there is a lot of humour in the dialogue with her friends Aiza and Ruby and their contemporaries at school.
Dates for your diary
Lower Primary
September
Friday 13th - 1st Ware assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Monday 16th - Independence Day (School closed)
Tuesday 17th - Staff INSET Day (School closed for students)
Friday 20th - 1st. Padilla assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Saturday 21st - Prospective Parents (PK 2020) Open Morning
Friday 27th - 1st. Carbajal assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Saturday 28th - Kinder Curriculum Morning - 7:30am
Upper Primary
September
Wednesday 11th - 4th Guzman Assembly - 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Tuesday 10th - Last day to send $10 for Grade 5 Field Trip
Thursday 12th - Grade 5 Field Trip Joya de Cerén/Ruinas de San Andrés
Friday 13th - Last day to pay for 2nd Grade Field Trip
Monday 16th - Independence Day (School closed)
Tuesday 17th - Staff INSET Day (School closed for students)
Wednesday 18th - Grade 2 Field Trip to Parque Nacional El Boquerón - 8:00 am -12:30 pm
Wednesday 18th - 5th Molina Assembly- 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Wednesday 18th - System for Online Enrollment for Session 2 becomes active
Thursday 19th - Uk Trip Information Night - 6:00pm - PAC
Friday 20th - Peace One Day Celebrations (Somoz Paz)
Sunday 22nd - Last day for online enrollment for Session 2
Wednesday 25th - 3rd Borgo Assembly- 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Words from the Head of Secondary
Dear parents and carers,
We started the week with our final two Know Your School sessions for our IB years. On Monday in particular, it was a fantastic start as we welcomed our class of 2021 to their official start to the school after their spectacular Circus “Arcadia” and also we recognised the students who achieved a Roll of Honour in their IGCSE examinations.
Congratulations to:
SENJI SHIBATA TAKAHASI
SHANE BRAUN JOHNSON
SOPHIA GOMEZ MERINO
SOFÍA ALEJANDRA CARPIO MOLINA
DANIEL ANDRÉS MEJÍA CALLES
ALANA ISABEL PALOMO HERNÁNDEZ
KATHERINE ALEJANDRA CORTEZ DOMINGUEZ
ADRIELA MARIA GRIJALVA SERMEÑO
JUBRAN ANDRÉ LEMUS GARCÍA
ISABELLA BOLAÑOS FONTG
DIEGO ALEJANDRO HUEZO
GERARDO JOSÉ MONJARÁS HENRIQUEZ
Millenium Scholar - Class of 2021
We would like to make a special mention to SENJI SHIBATA TAKAHASI for his excellent set of results, earning him the “ABC Millenium Scholarship.”
Not only does this scholarship offer a monetary recognition but it is also a symbol of his hard work and dedication. Senji is a student whose natural talent is enhanced by his diligence and effort. Well done, Senji!
On the subject of academic success, I have been thinking a lot about how we must all work together to support our children in their learning process. The first step has been positive, many parents attended our Know Your School sessions and hopefully have a clear idea of the expectations and parameters we want from our children at every grade level. At each of these sessions we covered examinations and assessment. This is what I would like us to have better communication with our children about.
Generally, exams and assessments create anxiety in our children, and this is because of having the final grade as the goal and not placing enough importance on the process of learning in order to achieve that result. In a way, if we placed more importance in the day to day opportunities to expand and develop our children’s skills, knowledge and understanding, then the final grade will definitely be what we hope for. This means making the most of each lesson, of each day, not allowing school time to be compromised and also very importantly, communicating with our children regarding evaluations coming up and talking to them about how they are preparing. As parents, we can share some strategies with our children to use:
Discussion: Use notes and texts; explain the information to you as if you have no previous knowledge of the topic.
Illustration: Create pictures, mind maps or diagrams of the information. Use color and creativity to spark creative ways to remember information.
SOFÍA ALEJANDRA CARPIO MOLINA
DANIEL ANDRÉS MEJÍA CALLES
ALANA ISABEL PALOMO HERNÁNDEZ
KATHERINE ALEJANDRA CORTEZ DOMINGUEZ
ADRIELA MARIA GRIJALVA SERMEÑO
JUBRAN ANDRÉ LEMUS GARCÍA
ISABELLA BOLAÑOS FONTG
DIEGO ALEJANDRO HUEZO
GERARDO JOSÉ MONJARÁS HENRIQUEZ
Millenium Scholar - Class of 2021
We would like to make a special mention to SENJI SHIBATA TAKAHASI for his excellent set of results, earning him the “ABC Millenium Scholarship.”
Not only does this scholarship offer a monetary recognition but it is also a symbol of his hard work and dedication. Senji is a student whose natural talent is enhanced by his diligence and effort. Well done, Senji!
On the subject of academic success, I have been thinking a lot about how we must all work together to support our children in their learning process. The first step has been positive, many parents attended our Know Your School sessions and hopefully have a clear idea of the expectations and parameters we want from our children at every grade level. At each of these sessions we covered examinations and assessment. This is what I would like us to have better communication with our children about.
Generally, exams and assessments create anxiety in our children, and this is because of having the final grade as the goal and not placing enough importance on the process of learning in order to achieve that result. In a way, if we placed more importance in the day to day opportunities to expand and develop our children’s skills, knowledge and understanding, then the final grade will definitely be what we hope for. This means making the most of each lesson, of each day, not allowing school time to be compromised and also very importantly, communicating with our children regarding evaluations coming up and talking to them about how they are preparing. As parents, we can share some strategies with our children to use:
Discussion: Use notes and texts; explain the information to you as if you have no previous knowledge of the topic.
Illustration: Create pictures, mind maps or diagrams of the information. Use color and creativity to spark creative ways to remember information.
Monologue: Encourage children to tell themselves the content information in the mirror.
Write it out: Rewrite all unknown or new information. Using various colors to organise ideas can be helpful for students.
Connections: Write or draw connections between new information and facts and ideas that they understand. Help them make connections to their own life or current events.
Videos: look for relevant video clips about the topic.
Once the assessment has been taken and their marks and papers handed back to them, focus on what can be learned from this instead of focusing on the mark. This way the reflection process will help them do even better next time.
Ask them:
Did you feel prepared for the assessment?
Were you surprised by your grade?
Which strategies did you use? Did you feel that any were particularly helpful? Did any not work for you?
What was your review schedule? Do you feel that you prepared too much, not enough, or just the right amount?
Would you do anything differently next time?
Best of luck!
CIS University Tour
From María Eugenia Vides
Once again we were very happy to have the opportunity to host the CIS University Fair at the ABC. This is one of the biggest University Tours that come through El Salvador with 28 universities from North America and Europe. Other schools in the area were invited to participate as well making it a community event. Students were very eager to take advantage of this excellent opportunity. They spoke with university admission officers and faculty members and gained a wide range of knowledge regarding majors, scholarships and financial aid.
Looking ahead!
Next Friday the 13th of September we will be holding our Independence Day festivities. Please encourage our children to think about the value of being “Independent” in all they do! Monday 16th school is closed for everyone and Tuesday 17th is an INSET day for all staff, where we will be focusing on how to promote literacy among our students and share best practices.
Have a wonderful weekend and see you all next week!
Kind regards,
Natalia Cáceres Escalón
Head of Secondary School
Dates for your Diary
September
Monday 16th - Independence Day (school closed)
Tuesday 17th - Staff INSET Day (School closed for students)
October
Tuesday 1st - Grade 6 Parent Teacher Meetings and Parent Partnership - PAC, 4pm.
Thursday 17th & Friday 18th - Grade 10 Empowerment trip
Tuesday 26th - Grades 10 & 12 Parent Teacher Meetings - 4pm, PAC
Monday 28th to 1st November - Half Term holidays
Write it out: Rewrite all unknown or new information. Using various colors to organise ideas can be helpful for students.
Connections: Write or draw connections between new information and facts and ideas that they understand. Help them make connections to their own life or current events.
Videos: look for relevant video clips about the topic.
Once the assessment has been taken and their marks and papers handed back to them, focus on what can be learned from this instead of focusing on the mark. This way the reflection process will help them do even better next time.
Ask them:
Did you feel prepared for the assessment?
Were you surprised by your grade?
Which strategies did you use? Did you feel that any were particularly helpful? Did any not work for you?
What was your review schedule? Do you feel that you prepared too much, not enough, or just the right amount?
Would you do anything differently next time?
Best of luck!
CIS University Tour
From María Eugenia Vides
Once again we were very happy to have the opportunity to host the CIS University Fair at the ABC. This is one of the biggest University Tours that come through El Salvador with 28 universities from North America and Europe. Other schools in the area were invited to participate as well making it a community event. Students were very eager to take advantage of this excellent opportunity. They spoke with university admission officers and faculty members and gained a wide range of knowledge regarding majors, scholarships and financial aid.
Looking ahead!
Next Friday the 13th of September we will be holding our Independence Day festivities. Please encourage our children to think about the value of being “Independent” in all they do! Monday 16th school is closed for everyone and Tuesday 17th is an INSET day for all staff, where we will be focusing on how to promote literacy among our students and share best practices.
Have a wonderful weekend and see you all next week!
Kind regards,
Natalia Cáceres Escalón
Head of Secondary School
Dates for your Diary
September
Monday 16th - Independence Day (school closed)
Tuesday 17th - Staff INSET Day (School closed for students)
October
Tuesday 1st - Grade 6 Parent Teacher Meetings and Parent Partnership - PAC, 4pm.
Thursday 17th & Friday 18th - Grade 10 Empowerment trip
Tuesday 26th - Grades 10 & 12 Parent Teacher Meetings - 4pm, PAC
Monday 28th to 1st November - Half Term holidays
Congratulations to the ABC Archery team that participated at the Juegos Estudiantiles, our team won:
Carter Scheufele: 1 bronze medal
Sebastián Mérida: 2 bronze medals
Gabriela Rodríguez: 1 bronze medal
Andrés Hernández: 2 silver medals
Brock Tidwell: 2 gold medals
Jesús Eduardo Castro: 2 gold medals
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