Mentoring
I still keep in touch with the man who did more than any other to consolidate in me a sense of vocation to be a school leader. His name is Adrian Palmer and he was the Head of Senior School at St. Andrew’s, Turi for 8 years finishing in 2014. I spent two years as his Deputy in 2011-13 but perhaps it is only relatively recently that I have begun to realise how influential his mentorship during that time was.
Mentoring is a much misunderstood concept. I myself provide a good example of this: having decided to take mentoring as my theme this week I (like the earnest English teacher I am at heart) researched the etymology of the word. Of course, it has none! Mentor is the name of a character in Homer’s Odyssey whom Odysseus appointed, before he departed for the Trojan War, to look after his son Telemachus.
More interestingly, the goddess Athena then took the form of Mentor when she visited Telemachus, allowing her to get close to him and capitalize on the long-standing trust in Telemachus’ relationship with Mentor to guide, protect, counsel and encourage him.
When I last worked in the UK, mentoring was very much in vogue. In fact, as Assistant Headteacher in my last school there, I was responsible for appointing and overseeing a team of mentors from the school’s teaching staff to work 1:1 with key students. The goal, of course, was to try to ensure that the students got the best grades possible, which is fair enough (though I think we have established by now that I believe there is a lot more to a good education than merely that) but the means by which we went about it were in retrospect rather facile and shallow, mainly being to do with simple target setting and review.
Three elements in the relationship between Athena (Mentor) and Telemachus strike me as interesting: The first is the importance of trust. Athena took Mentor’s form so that she would immediately have Telemachus’ trust without which there is every chance that her wise counsel, guidance and encouragement may have been ignored partially or in toto.
The second, is the intervention of the divine. There is something a little mystical about the process of mentorship; it is not always something that one can actually observe as a process, not least because the progress of the mentee can be incremental or erratic. And the best mentorship depends on there being genuine wisdom at play, and what better wisdom than divine wisdom? Real mentorship (and true wisdom) is about the big stuff- about values and principles; it’s not just about changing someone in the head, but in the heart and soul as well- this is where it differs so sharply from coaching.
And finally, I had not considered, until preparing this piece, the importance of the idea of protection in mentoring. The best mentors feel a genuine affection for their charges. It is this that gives them the motivation to sacrifice the time and to summon the patience that is required to properly mentor someone. The quickest way to teach someone is to give him or her instructions (I am dismayed to see the word “instruction” is currently in vogue in US education) but how deep, lasting and transferable will that learning be? Gently guiding someone towards wisdom and to develop a reliable moral compass, really mentoring someone, takes time and during that journey the mentor must protect his protégé, not smoothing out the waves, but ensuring the ship stays afloat, until such time as the apprentice is ready to take the tiller herself.
Mentoring is:
Answering a question with a question
Allowing someone to make mistakes
Encouraging honest reflection
Helping someone to see the bigger picture
Developing foresight
Shaping values
Modelling
Forming personal qualities
Mentoring requires:
Patience
Forgiveness
Loyalty
Affection
Time
You will be beginning to sense by now the importance I attach to the human and interpersonal aspects of our work to develop young people. If we can try to adopt at least some of the approaches of a true mentor in our interactions with our youngsters, I think there is every chance we will end up being better teachers and, dare I say it, parents.
From the Head of Primary
It is hard to believe we are at the end of September already. I can see teachers and children really enjoying their learning and the sense of achievement it brings. As I walk around the Primary classrooms I see engaged students who are trying their best, and teachers helping them to succeed. Guided reading is now a very important part of the ABC Primary school as is reducing the Verbal deficit among some of our students. We are continuing to refine and develop learning that meets the diverse needs of your child/children. We call this Personalised Learning or Differentiation.
On Tuesday we celebrate Children's Day. Children's Day is celebrated to honour children globally aiming at protecting them from working long hours in dangerous circumstances and allowing access to rightful education. Children are our future and we must ensure they get every opportunity to thrive through having a loving family, access to education, living in a healthy and clean environment; and being free to pursue their dreams.
More interestingly, the goddess Athena then took the form of Mentor when she visited Telemachus, allowing her to get close to him and capitalize on the long-standing trust in Telemachus’ relationship with Mentor to guide, protect, counsel and encourage him.
When I last worked in the UK, mentoring was very much in vogue. In fact, as Assistant Headteacher in my last school there, I was responsible for appointing and overseeing a team of mentors from the school’s teaching staff to work 1:1 with key students. The goal, of course, was to try to ensure that the students got the best grades possible, which is fair enough (though I think we have established by now that I believe there is a lot more to a good education than merely that) but the means by which we went about it were in retrospect rather facile and shallow, mainly being to do with simple target setting and review.
Three elements in the relationship between Athena (Mentor) and Telemachus strike me as interesting: The first is the importance of trust. Athena took Mentor’s form so that she would immediately have Telemachus’ trust without which there is every chance that her wise counsel, guidance and encouragement may have been ignored partially or in toto.
The second, is the intervention of the divine. There is something a little mystical about the process of mentorship; it is not always something that one can actually observe as a process, not least because the progress of the mentee can be incremental or erratic. And the best mentorship depends on there being genuine wisdom at play, and what better wisdom than divine wisdom? Real mentorship (and true wisdom) is about the big stuff- about values and principles; it’s not just about changing someone in the head, but in the heart and soul as well- this is where it differs so sharply from coaching.
And finally, I had not considered, until preparing this piece, the importance of the idea of protection in mentoring. The best mentors feel a genuine affection for their charges. It is this that gives them the motivation to sacrifice the time and to summon the patience that is required to properly mentor someone. The quickest way to teach someone is to give him or her instructions (I am dismayed to see the word “instruction” is currently in vogue in US education) but how deep, lasting and transferable will that learning be? Gently guiding someone towards wisdom and to develop a reliable moral compass, really mentoring someone, takes time and during that journey the mentor must protect his protégé, not smoothing out the waves, but ensuring the ship stays afloat, until such time as the apprentice is ready to take the tiller herself.
Mentoring is:
Answering a question with a question
Allowing someone to make mistakes
Encouraging honest reflection
Helping someone to see the bigger picture
Developing foresight
Shaping values
Modelling
Forming personal qualities
Mentoring requires:
Patience
Forgiveness
Loyalty
Affection
Time
You will be beginning to sense by now the importance I attach to the human and interpersonal aspects of our work to develop young people. If we can try to adopt at least some of the approaches of a true mentor in our interactions with our youngsters, I think there is every chance we will end up being better teachers and, dare I say it, parents.
From the Head of Primary
It is hard to believe we are at the end of September already. I can see teachers and children really enjoying their learning and the sense of achievement it brings. As I walk around the Primary classrooms I see engaged students who are trying their best, and teachers helping them to succeed. Guided reading is now a very important part of the ABC Primary school as is reducing the Verbal deficit among some of our students. We are continuing to refine and develop learning that meets the diverse needs of your child/children. We call this Personalised Learning or Differentiation.
On Tuesday we celebrate Children's Day. Children's Day is celebrated to honour children globally aiming at protecting them from working long hours in dangerous circumstances and allowing access to rightful education. Children are our future and we must ensure they get every opportunity to thrive through having a loving family, access to education, living in a healthy and clean environment; and being free to pursue their dreams.
Fun Fact: Children spend approximately 14% of their lives awake and at school. Therefore the other 86% of the year is spent sleeping, eating or with family and friends!!
Independence Assembly: Last Friday, Primary closed the civic month with a very special Independence Day Assembly. Children celebrated by singing the national anthem and listening to a traditional El Salvadoran band, which kindly came from a neighbouring school. On Monday we celebrate El Salvador's independence with a Primary Independence Assembly.
Home Learning / Homework: The Primary Leadership team are now looking to develop the process of homework within Upper Primary. Over the next coming weeks you may see a change in the activities being sent home. If you have any comments or concerns about homework tasks, please feel free to contact Mr. McNeil - thomasmcneil@abc-net.edu.sv.
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Where is Grandma? by Peter Schössow, translated by Sally-Ann Spencer
A boy is going to visit his Grandma in hospital. Gulsa is taking him there but she’s very preoccupied talking on her new phone. The boy is bored so he goes inside to seek out Grandma for himself.
This picture book is very interesting for looking at perspective in more than one respect. The story is told from the viewpoint of the boy as he wanders through the corridors (the book is subtitled ‘My Trip to the Hospital’). The reader is privy to the conversations he has and the snippets he hears of adults talking so we share in his puzzlement. The boy finds friendliness in this vast building and there is a happy resolution when he is reunited with Grandma and Gulsa.
Dates for your diary
Lower Primary
October
Tuesday 1st - Children’s day
Friday 4th - 1st. Avilés assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Friday 4th - Extracurricular activities - 1st session, ends
Saturday 5th - Pre-Kinder Curriculum Morning - 7:30am
Monday 7th - Extracurricular activities - 2nd session starts
Monday 7th - Prepa McNeil & Prepa Isley Curriculum morning - 7:30-8:30am
Tuesday 8th - Prepa Chadwick & Prepa Gordon Curriculum morning - 7:30-8:30am
Friday 11th - Prepa Chadwick assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Saturday 12th - 1st. grade Curriculum Morning - 7:30am
Wednesday 16th - Prepa McNeil & Prepa Isley Curriculum morning - 7:30-8:30am
Thursday 17th - Prepa Chadwick & Prepa Gordon Curriculum morning - 7:30-8:30am
Friday 18th - Prepa McNeil assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Monday 21st - Send t-shirt for Colour run activity
Friday 25th - Prepa Isley assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Friday 25th - Students can wear their own Colour run t-shirt for a donation
Monday 28th to Friday 1st November - End of term holidays
Upper Primary
October
Tuesday 1st - Children’s Day
Wednesday 2nd - 3rd Segovia Assembly- 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Thursday 3rd - Grade 4 Field Trip to the Botanical Garden
Monday 7th - Extracurricular activities - Session 2 starts
Wednesday 9th - 2nd Pineda Assembly- 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Monday 14th - 3 Way Conferences Start (until Fri 25th)
Wednesday 16th - 5th Hernández Assembly- 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Wednesday 16th - Extracurricular Religion Suspended (due to 3 Way Conferences).
Wednesday 23rd - 4th Quijano Assembly- 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Wednesday 23rd - Extracurricular Religion Suspended (due to 3 Way Conferences).
Thursday 24th - Latin Music Night - 6:30pm - PAC
Friday 25th - Save the Children Colour Run
Friday 25th - Last Day of 3 Way Conferences
Monday 28th - Half Term Break (no school from Mon 28th Oct - Fri 1st Nov)
From the Head of Secondary
Dear parents and carers,
We have had fun in Secondary this week celebrating Banned Book Week! Thank you to the LRC team who put together excellent activities around these books and the topic of censorship and a very interesting assembly this week. You can see the video we watched on this topic here: Captain Underpants
Independence Assembly: Last Friday, Primary closed the civic month with a very special Independence Day Assembly. Children celebrated by singing the national anthem and listening to a traditional El Salvadoran band, which kindly came from a neighbouring school. On Monday we celebrate El Salvador's independence with a Primary Independence Assembly.
Home Learning / Homework: The Primary Leadership team are now looking to develop the process of homework within Upper Primary. Over the next coming weeks you may see a change in the activities being sent home. If you have any comments or concerns about homework tasks, please feel free to contact Mr. McNeil - thomasmcneil@abc-net.edu.sv.
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Where is Grandma? by Peter Schössow, translated by Sally-Ann Spencer
A boy is going to visit his Grandma in hospital. Gulsa is taking him there but she’s very preoccupied talking on her new phone. The boy is bored so he goes inside to seek out Grandma for himself.
This picture book is very interesting for looking at perspective in more than one respect. The story is told from the viewpoint of the boy as he wanders through the corridors (the book is subtitled ‘My Trip to the Hospital’). The reader is privy to the conversations he has and the snippets he hears of adults talking so we share in his puzzlement. The boy finds friendliness in this vast building and there is a happy resolution when he is reunited with Grandma and Gulsa.
Dates for your diary
Lower Primary
October
Tuesday 1st - Children’s day
Friday 4th - 1st. Avilés assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Friday 4th - Extracurricular activities - 1st session, ends
Saturday 5th - Pre-Kinder Curriculum Morning - 7:30am
Monday 7th - Extracurricular activities - 2nd session starts
Monday 7th - Prepa McNeil & Prepa Isley Curriculum morning - 7:30-8:30am
Tuesday 8th - Prepa Chadwick & Prepa Gordon Curriculum morning - 7:30-8:30am
Friday 11th - Prepa Chadwick assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Saturday 12th - 1st. grade Curriculum Morning - 7:30am
Wednesday 16th - Prepa McNeil & Prepa Isley Curriculum morning - 7:30-8:30am
Thursday 17th - Prepa Chadwick & Prepa Gordon Curriculum morning - 7:30-8:30am
Friday 18th - Prepa McNeil assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Monday 21st - Send t-shirt for Colour run activity
Friday 25th - Prepa Isley assembly - 7:30am - PAC
Friday 25th - Students can wear their own Colour run t-shirt for a donation
Monday 28th to Friday 1st November - End of term holidays
Upper Primary
October
Tuesday 1st - Children’s Day
Wednesday 2nd - 3rd Segovia Assembly- 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Thursday 3rd - Grade 4 Field Trip to the Botanical Garden
Monday 7th - Extracurricular activities - Session 2 starts
Wednesday 9th - 2nd Pineda Assembly- 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Monday 14th - 3 Way Conferences Start (until Fri 25th)
Wednesday 16th - 5th Hernández Assembly- 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Wednesday 16th - Extracurricular Religion Suspended (due to 3 Way Conferences).
Wednesday 23rd - 4th Quijano Assembly- 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Wednesday 23rd - Extracurricular Religion Suspended (due to 3 Way Conferences).
Thursday 24th - Latin Music Night - 6:30pm - PAC
Friday 25th - Save the Children Colour Run
Friday 25th - Last Day of 3 Way Conferences
Monday 28th - Half Term Break (no school from Mon 28th Oct - Fri 1st Nov)
From the Head of Secondary
Dear parents and carers,
We have had fun in Secondary this week celebrating Banned Book Week! Thank you to the LRC team who put together excellent activities around these books and the topic of censorship and a very interesting assembly this week. You can see the video we watched on this topic here: Captain Underpants
The American Library Association condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information. Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries and its target is to highlight the value of free and open access to information.
At the ABC, we encourage our students to find information about the world and be a critical thinker! We want all our students to be avid readers and thus promote open access to ideas and a wide range of literature, both of which are keys to raising life-long readers! Banned Books Week gives families a chance to celebrate reading, talk about censorship, and decide for themselves what's appropriate for their children to read!
CIS University Admissions and Guidance Fair
From Ms. María Eugenia Vides- University Counseling Department Coordinator
Last week our University Counselors attended the "CIS Latin America Institute: International Admission and Guidance", an event hosted by the CIS at Rollins University in Florida. During this event counselors and university admission officers from all over the world exchanged ideas about international student mobility, learned about regional developments and trends, as well as other issues affecting Latin American students who aspire to study internationally. This was an opportunity for our counselors to expand their learning and establish connections in the international community.
“The conference was a valuable experience it complemented and updated our prior knowledge. We met peers that shared their expertise with regards to the challenges in the transition from high school to university. It created an awareness of social and mental issues that may emerge for university bound students from Latin America.This culturally informed approach gave us tools to support students as they prepare to start a new phase in their lives. Universities from Europe presented their academic offers and confirmed that they are gradually becoming a trend for latin american students. Over the past 5 years applications to the Netherlands have skyrocketed, due to their offer of high quality and affordable programs. It was good to see that we are part of this trend and that we foster global citizenship. Everything from the networking to the knowledge was enriching!”
COLOUR RUN T-SHIRT DESIGN COMPETITION
Congratulations to Gabriela Nicole Echeverría Castellanos from the Class of 2023 for winning the competition for this year’s COLOUR RUN!
We are very much looking forward to this wonderful event which is being organised by children, for children. Our Head students and Prefect team, as well as our StuCo team, are busy putting this great event together for the community!
We will begin selling kits next week, so please encourage your child to take part and have fun while contributing to a great cause! This year, our Colour Run proceeds will go to FUNDACION “AYÚDAME A VIVIR.” More information soon!
At the ABC, we encourage our students to find information about the world and be a critical thinker! We want all our students to be avid readers and thus promote open access to ideas and a wide range of literature, both of which are keys to raising life-long readers! Banned Books Week gives families a chance to celebrate reading, talk about censorship, and decide for themselves what's appropriate for their children to read!
CIS University Admissions and Guidance Fair
From Ms. María Eugenia Vides- University Counseling Department Coordinator
Last week our University Counselors attended the "CIS Latin America Institute: International Admission and Guidance", an event hosted by the CIS at Rollins University in Florida. During this event counselors and university admission officers from all over the world exchanged ideas about international student mobility, learned about regional developments and trends, as well as other issues affecting Latin American students who aspire to study internationally. This was an opportunity for our counselors to expand their learning and establish connections in the international community.
“The conference was a valuable experience it complemented and updated our prior knowledge. We met peers that shared their expertise with regards to the challenges in the transition from high school to university. It created an awareness of social and mental issues that may emerge for university bound students from Latin America.This culturally informed approach gave us tools to support students as they prepare to start a new phase in their lives. Universities from Europe presented their academic offers and confirmed that they are gradually becoming a trend for latin american students. Over the past 5 years applications to the Netherlands have skyrocketed, due to their offer of high quality and affordable programs. It was good to see that we are part of this trend and that we foster global citizenship. Everything from the networking to the knowledge was enriching!”
COLOUR RUN T-SHIRT DESIGN COMPETITION
Congratulations to Gabriela Nicole Echeverría Castellanos from the Class of 2023 for winning the competition for this year’s COLOUR RUN!
We are very much looking forward to this wonderful event which is being organised by children, for children. Our Head students and Prefect team, as well as our StuCo team, are busy putting this great event together for the community!
We will begin selling kits next week, so please encourage your child to take part and have fun while contributing to a great cause! This year, our Colour Run proceeds will go to FUNDACION “AYÚDAME A VIVIR.” More information soon!
COLOUR RUN- Friday 25th of October! DO NOT MISS IT!
OCTOBER IS CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!
It is so rewarding to work with young people who are committed to making a difference in the world, who see a global issue and want to do something to help! This year, we were inundated by the number of students who wanted to mark this month and raise awareness of the needs of patients and their families who suffer this terrible disease. We decided to group them all together and support them by having a whole week of cancer awareness talks, activities and support. All these activities have been organised and will be led by our young people! As you can see above, we will be running nearly a whole week of jeans days, dedicating the money raised and the conversations around campus to a different type of cancer each day starting with Tuesday 1st of October, when we celebrate Children’s day!
We hope all our students support these causes!
Next week, on Tuesday 1st of October, we will welcome the Class of 2026 Parents and children to our Parent- Teacher meetings. Students in Grade 6 have their appointment sheets to establish an agreed time for their parents and teachers to meet and discuss their development and settling into Secondary school.
Have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing you next week!
Kind regards,
OCTOBER IS CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!
It is so rewarding to work with young people who are committed to making a difference in the world, who see a global issue and want to do something to help! This year, we were inundated by the number of students who wanted to mark this month and raise awareness of the needs of patients and their families who suffer this terrible disease. We decided to group them all together and support them by having a whole week of cancer awareness talks, activities and support. All these activities have been organised and will be led by our young people! As you can see above, we will be running nearly a whole week of jeans days, dedicating the money raised and the conversations around campus to a different type of cancer each day starting with Tuesday 1st of October, when we celebrate Children’s day!
We hope all our students support these causes!
Next week, on Tuesday 1st of October, we will welcome the Class of 2026 Parents and children to our Parent- Teacher meetings. Students in Grade 6 have their appointment sheets to establish an agreed time for their parents and teachers to meet and discuss their development and settling into Secondary school.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
If you bring your children to school via the PAC entrance, please DO NOT allow your children to get out of the car and cross the road where cars are exiting.
We are very concerned over parents dropping their children off under the ABC Lecture theatre and allowing them to cross a busy road. This slows down traffic, a major parental concern but above all it is highly dangerous. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Kind regards,
Natalia Cáceres Escalón
Head of Secondary School
Dates for your diary
October
Jeans Week $1 each day is your child would like to support the activity
Tuesday 1st - Jeans Day with yellow colour T-Shirt / Grade 6 Parent Teacher Meetings - Auditorium, 4pm and Parent Partnership - ABCLT.
Wednesday 2nd - Jeans Day with pink colour T-Shirt
Thursday 3rd - Jeans Day with a blue colour T-Shirt
Friday 4th - Jeans Day with white colour T-Shirt / Grade 12 PAES revision No 4 - from 2 to 5:30pm, PAC
Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th - Grade 12 PAES Examinations
Wednesday 16th - Grade 11 students visiting HOPAC - from 11:30am to 3pm
Tuesday 22nd - Grade 10 and 12 Parent Teacher Meetings - 4pm, Auditorium
Thursday 24th - Latin Night, all Parents and ABC community are invited - $4 per person or a table of 6 for $20 - 6:30pm, PAC
Monday 28th to Friday 1st November - End of Term holidays
Head of Secondary School
Dates for your diary
October
Jeans Week $1 each day is your child would like to support the activity
Tuesday 1st - Jeans Day with yellow colour T-Shirt / Grade 6 Parent Teacher Meetings - Auditorium, 4pm and Parent Partnership - ABCLT.
Wednesday 2nd - Jeans Day with pink colour T-Shirt
Thursday 3rd - Jeans Day with a blue colour T-Shirt
Friday 4th - Jeans Day with white colour T-Shirt / Grade 12 PAES revision No 4 - from 2 to 5:30pm, PAC
Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th - Grade 12 PAES Examinations
Wednesday 16th - Grade 11 students visiting HOPAC - from 11:30am to 3pm
Tuesday 22nd - Grade 10 and 12 Parent Teacher Meetings - 4pm, Auditorium
Thursday 24th - Latin Night, all Parents and ABC community are invited - $4 per person or a table of 6 for $20 - 6:30pm, PAC
Monday 28th to Friday 1st November - End of Term holidays
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