The most important duty we have to you, our parent body, is to ensure the safety, well-being and happiness of your children while they are in our care. We do not take lightly the trust you show in us by choosing us for your children nor the weight of responsibility that comes with it. Here are a few ways in which we work to safeguard your children:
- A Safeguarding Team of five senior colleagues, all with recent level 2 training (usually involving a residential course overseas- myself and two colleagues were in Panama for this purpose earlier in the year) meets every week in my office. In line with best practice globally, the team is led by Natalia Caceres rather than myself to ensure that there is never any possibility of the school’s interests being put before those of a child.
- We deliver a 3-hour training session annually for all staff (including coaches and admin. and maintenance colleagues) to revise our procedures and to educate ourselves on latest developments and trends in safeguarding and how to tackle them. Our session last week tackled peer-on-peer abuse and depression in children, both of which are rising in prevalence
- New staff undertake a Level 1 online course on safeguarding with Educare in their first term with us
- All staff undertake annual first aid training
- Two new dedicated phones are carried by Natalia Cáceres and Ana Mena 24 hours a day and seven days a week so that a safeguarding officer is always available to our community
- New posters throughout school raise awareness and carry contact information for safeguarding officers
- All new teachers are rigorously background checked. We use interviews to not only establish their professional competence but to explore their character and values. We call three references and contact their current Head directly by phone
- Any trips that children go on are rigorously risk assessed. For domestic trips we liaise with the Regional Security Office of the US Embassy for reports in the security situation in locations we plan to visit
- Teaching children about how to keep themselves safe in a whole range of contexts is an explicit part of our curriculum for children of all ages
- All of our accrediting bodies (CIS, IBO, IPC, LAHC) rigorously quality assure our child protection and safeguarding policies and procedures
Many thanks to those of you who came to the Coffee morning on Wednesday to discuss our safeguarding processes and the operation of the school’s Health Centre. I want to summarise one or two of the main things that have come out of it:
- If there is a medical need for an intimate/private part of a child's body to be examined (or treated), the School Doctor will call home to ask for parental consent and/or to invite parents to attend (or have the exam performed elsewhere) before proceeding. If we cannot get hold of parents, we will continue to try, of course, but, if the matter is felt to be medically urgent, the School Doctor will proceed in the best interests of the child.
- A Safeguarding Team of five senior colleagues, all with recent level 2 training (usually involving a residential course overseas- myself and two colleagues were in Panama for this purpose earlier in the year) meets every week in my office. In line with best practice globally, the team is led by Natalia Caceres rather than myself to ensure that there is never any possibility of the school’s interests being put before those of a child.
- We deliver a 3-hour training session annually for all staff (including coaches and admin. and maintenance colleagues) to revise our procedures and to educate ourselves on latest developments and trends in safeguarding and how to tackle them. Our session last week tackled peer-on-peer abuse and depression in children, both of which are rising in prevalence
- New staff undertake a Level 1 online course on safeguarding with Educare in their first term with us
- All staff undertake annual first aid training
- Two new dedicated phones are carried by Natalia Cáceres and Ana Mena 24 hours a day and seven days a week so that a safeguarding officer is always available to our community
- New posters throughout school raise awareness and carry contact information for safeguarding officers
- All new teachers are rigorously background checked. We use interviews to not only establish their professional competence but to explore their character and values. We call three references and contact their current Head directly by phone
- Any trips that children go on are rigorously risk assessed. For domestic trips we liaise with the Regional Security Office of the US Embassy for reports in the security situation in locations we plan to visit
- Teaching children about how to keep themselves safe in a whole range of contexts is an explicit part of our curriculum for children of all ages
- All of our accrediting bodies (CIS, IBO, IPC, LAHC) rigorously quality assure our child protection and safeguarding policies and procedures
Many thanks to those of you who came to the Coffee morning on Wednesday to discuss our safeguarding processes and the operation of the school’s Health Centre. I want to summarise one or two of the main things that have come out of it:
- If there is a medical need for an intimate/private part of a child's body to be examined (or treated), the School Doctor will call home to ask for parental consent and/or to invite parents to attend (or have the exam performed elsewhere) before proceeding. If we cannot get hold of parents, we will continue to try, of course, but, if the matter is felt to be medically urgent, the School Doctor will proceed in the best interests of the child.
- We are actively exploring adding more human resource to the Health Centre. This will improve colleagues ability to cover duties during lunchtimes and the promptness with which they are able to communicate with home about children who have come to the Health Centre for attention/treatment
- We will review and amend our policies relating to the operation of the Health Centre
- We are exploring expanding the Parent Partnership model further down through school to improve collaboration between home and school in helping keep our children safe and happy.
Finally, I want to say that Dr. Jennifer Harrison has been our School Doctor for 15 years and during that time has always had the trust of this community in terms of how she cares for, and treats, our children. I want to say very clearly that, as far as I am concerned, that trust continues.
From the Head of Primary
Today, students at the ABC are away from their normal school day. Why? Because today the teachers, assistants, administration staff, support staff and leadership have an opportunity to be inspired to learn and grow in their role at the ABC!
What does it take to inspire a passion for learning in each student who attends the ABC?
One of the key ingredients to success is that teachers love learning. If we are not all a community of learners then the philosophy which drives our learning journey can fall apart.
Why does it matter to have teachers with a love of learning?
Young children are greatly influenced by their environment. We want to ensure the love of learning is contagious. We need teachers who are enthusiastic about continuing their own education, and who are passionate about seeking better ways to facilitate and inspire learning for students. Educators who find joy and challenge in the pursuit of their own professional growth inspire our students to love learning too.
Teachers who love learning are, quite simply, better educators. That’s why we constantly challenge everyone on the ABC team to pursue new growth opportunities.
Here are 4 Reasons why Teacher Development is so important:
Teaching is as much a learning experience for the educator as it is for the student. Professional Development occurs daily through all our interactions, in addition to courses and workshops, and it ensures that educators remain effective in the long run, helping them to:
1. Strengthen Subject Knowledge
Few people would think a history course that ended at the end of the 20th century was up to date—yet less attention is paid to how often schools update the curriculum they use to educate students.
- We will review and amend our policies relating to the operation of the Health Centre
- We are exploring expanding the Parent Partnership model further down through school to improve collaboration between home and school in helping keep our children safe and happy.
Finally, I want to say that Dr. Jennifer Harrison has been our School Doctor for 15 years and during that time has always had the trust of this community in terms of how she cares for, and treats, our children. I want to say very clearly that, as far as I am concerned, that trust continues.
From the Head of Primary
Today, students at the ABC are away from their normal school day. Why? Because today the teachers, assistants, administration staff, support staff and leadership have an opportunity to be inspired to learn and grow in their role at the ABC!
What does it take to inspire a passion for learning in each student who attends the ABC?
One of the key ingredients to success is that teachers love learning. If we are not all a community of learners then the philosophy which drives our learning journey can fall apart.
Why does it matter to have teachers with a love of learning?
Young children are greatly influenced by their environment. We want to ensure the love of learning is contagious. We need teachers who are enthusiastic about continuing their own education, and who are passionate about seeking better ways to facilitate and inspire learning for students. Educators who find joy and challenge in the pursuit of their own professional growth inspire our students to love learning too.
Teachers who love learning are, quite simply, better educators. That’s why we constantly challenge everyone on the ABC team to pursue new growth opportunities.
Here are 4 Reasons why Teacher Development is so important:
Teaching is as much a learning experience for the educator as it is for the student. Professional Development occurs daily through all our interactions, in addition to courses and workshops, and it ensures that educators remain effective in the long run, helping them to:
1. Strengthen Subject Knowledge
Few people would think a history course that ended at the end of the 20th century was up to date—yet less attention is paid to how often schools update the curriculum they use to educate students.
“Curriculum” goes beyond just subject area knowledge but into concepts and approaches to teaching. Teachers should be constantly working out new ways to engage students—whether that’s including the latest developments in their field or looking for ways to interact across fields to fully explore concepts through the lens of multiple subject areas.
While it’s important for teachers to be able to teach about the latest advancements in their subject area, it’s even more important for teachers to always be learning about new ways to help students succeed.
2. Improve Student Outcomes
Think about how the world would be different if we were still using steamships to cross the ocean. Just like transportation, teaching is a field that evolves as researchers and practitioners find more effective ways to reach students.
Teachers need to be constantly seeking more effective ways to help students learn and to look for more creative and engaging ways to assess their learning. We are constantly looking for new ways to improve our curriculum at the ABC—whether that’s experimenting with language immersion in our Lower Primary School or weaving the IB Learner Profile into our curriculum to help students develop the skills to succeed in a global environment. We encourage educators to find ways to take risks to ensure we are providing significant, challenging and relevant learning engagements for each and every student. To achieve this, we promote shared professional reading and professional action research in our classrooms to improve and assess the quality of our teaching and learning in each classroom.
We also focus on improving student outcomes through ongoing student assessment. Assessment not only provides a picture of where students are in the learning process, it helps teachers better understand the students as learners. ABC teachers then use the insights they gain from assessments to shape their teaching to improve student outcomes.
3. Include New Technology
A school can’t prepare students to use the tools of the future if it continues to use the technology of the past. When we bring in new technology, however, teacher development is critical. Educators not only need to know how to use technology in the classroom well enough to teach students, but they also need to be able to tie the technology into a unit of inquiry so that students learn to think and create as they learn the technology.
At the ABC, it’s important to push teachers to go beyond using technology for the sake of technology. When our teachers learn the technology we have available, we challenge them to find ways to work it into the curriculum in a way that enhances teaching and learning (when appropriate). Students not only become creative but they also gain experience with entrepreneurship.
4. Help each other become better Educators
No one understands the challenges teachers face in the classroom better than other teachers—which is why collaboration is a crucial part of teacher professional development. When teachers get the chance to help each other and learn from one another, they are able to share their experiences and research, evaluate each other's learning engagements in the classroom, and join forces to provide more creative and innovative educational experiences.
When teachers are challenged to share their teaching practice and their learning journeys with their peers, it also pushes them to identify what is really working in their classroom. They have to think about whether it’s the learning tasks they give, how they work with students or even if a particular book or visual prompt sparked students’ interests.
Best Educators Keep Learning
Peter Drucker, a famous management trainer, wrote that “We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change.” The best teachers are the ones who are constantly pushing themselves to learn about new research in their field.
Whether teachers attend conferences or workshops, learn on their own, or join collaborative learning communities, ongoing professional development is the key to quality education. How else can we ensure teachers are able to take advantage of the latest research in their classroom, know how to take risks by including new concepts, teaching approaches and technology in the curriculum and inspire each other to be better educators?
Book of the Week
Little Red Riding Hood by Lari Don and Célia Chauffrey
Célia Chauffrey uses a predominantly red, pink and grey-green palette to illustrate this fresh retelling of the famous fairy tale. In this version, Red Riding Hood gets eaten as well as grandma and it is a hunter rather than a woodcutter that rescues them. The pictures show our heroine to be a determined little dame, from her facial expression on the front cover onwards, who is not afraid to step from the forest path to pick flowers or sew up a wolf’s belly full of stones.
Dates for your diary
Lower Primary
February
Monday 10th: Prepa Isley (Diamonds) and Prepa McNeil (Stars) Curriculum Morning - 7:30-8:50am.
Tuesday 11th: Prepa Chadwick (Pineapples) and Prepa Gordon (Penguins) Curriculum Morning - 7:30-8:50am.
Wednesday 12th: Prepa Isley (Pearls) and Prepa McNeil (Rockets) Curriculum Morning - 7:30-8:50am.
Thursday 13th: Prepa Chadwick (Watermelons) and Prepa Gordon (Monkeys) Curriculum Morning - 7:30-8:50am.
Thursday 13th: Pre-Kinder trip to Jardín Botánico - 8:30 - 11:45am
Friday 14th: Kinder Francés and Kinder González assembly - 7:40am - PAC
Thursday 20th: Pre-Kinder and Kinder Sports evening - 6:00-7:00pm
Friday 21st: Pre-Kinder Suárez assembly - 7:40am - PAC
Upper Primary
February
Monday 10th - Valentine’s Grams sale begins
Wednesday 12th - 3rd Truscott Assembly - 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Thursday 13th - COESAL meeting for Grade 5 parents - 7:30am - 8:30am - PAC
Tuesday 18th - COESAL father/son meeting for Grade 5 - 7:30am - 8:30am - Lecture Theater
Tuesday 18th - COESAL mother/daughter meeting for Grade 5 - 7:30am - 8:30am - PAC
Wednesday 19th - 2nd Pashley Assembly - 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Thursday 20th - Grade 3 Camping Night - Tuscania Club House
Monday 24th - Half Term Holiday
Monday 24th - Friday 28th: Half term break - no school
From the Head of Secondary
Dear parents and carers,
This week started off with our community celebrations of the amazing performance our Mathscounts winners delivered over the weekend. We are grateful to the Maths department, under the leadership of Mr Isle, who went above and beyond to prepare our students and school to host this year’s Mathscounts. A special mention to Mrs Escapini who coordinated the event and Mr. Cañas and Ms. Ward, our Mathcounts coaches.
Below you can read more from the Maths Department. We are very proud of our champions!
Mathcounts 2020
From Mr. Isley- Head of Maths department
February
Monday 10th: Prepa Isley (Diamonds) and Prepa McNeil (Stars) Curriculum Morning - 7:30-8:50am.
Tuesday 11th: Prepa Chadwick (Pineapples) and Prepa Gordon (Penguins) Curriculum Morning - 7:30-8:50am.
Wednesday 12th: Prepa Isley (Pearls) and Prepa McNeil (Rockets) Curriculum Morning - 7:30-8:50am.
Thursday 13th: Prepa Chadwick (Watermelons) and Prepa Gordon (Monkeys) Curriculum Morning - 7:30-8:50am.
Thursday 13th: Pre-Kinder trip to Jardín Botánico - 8:30 - 11:45am
Friday 14th: Kinder Francés and Kinder González assembly - 7:40am - PAC
Thursday 20th: Pre-Kinder and Kinder Sports evening - 6:00-7:00pm
Friday 21st: Pre-Kinder Suárez assembly - 7:40am - PAC
Upper Primary
February
Monday 10th - Valentine’s Grams sale begins
Wednesday 12th - 3rd Truscott Assembly - 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Thursday 13th - COESAL meeting for Grade 5 parents - 7:30am - 8:30am - PAC
Tuesday 18th - COESAL father/son meeting for Grade 5 - 7:30am - 8:30am - Lecture Theater
Tuesday 18th - COESAL mother/daughter meeting for Grade 5 - 7:30am - 8:30am - PAC
Wednesday 19th - 2nd Pashley Assembly - 8:15am & 10:55am - PAC
Thursday 20th - Grade 3 Camping Night - Tuscania Club House
Monday 24th - Half Term Holiday
Monday 24th - Friday 28th: Half term break - no school
From the Head of Secondary
Dear parents and carers,
This week started off with our community celebrations of the amazing performance our Mathscounts winners delivered over the weekend. We are grateful to the Maths department, under the leadership of Mr Isle, who went above and beyond to prepare our students and school to host this year’s Mathscounts. A special mention to Mrs Escapini who coordinated the event and Mr. Cañas and Ms. Ward, our Mathcounts coaches.
Below you can read more from the Maths Department. We are very proud of our champions!
Mathcounts 2020
From Mr. Isley- Head of Maths department
We were privileged this weekend to host the Central American Chapter Round of the Math Relay and Math Counts 2020 competition. Key Stage 3 students representing 21 schools competed from 6 countries to be crowned the best mathematicians in Central America. Ms. Escapini organized the event this year and Mr. Canas prepared our team of excellent mathematicians to compete. Congratulations to both of them for making the weekend one of the best Math Counts on record. Our students were on top form and I am proud to say they proved themselves to be the best team in Central America. On Friday In the Math Relay Competition, our Team A won second place. On Saturday in the main Math Counts competition, we achieved extremely well in the individual rounds with 10 of our students in the top 20 out of 294 competitors, and even better than that 7 of them were in the top 10! The team competitions saw ABC totally dominating. In the B competition, our C team won and our B team came second. In the A competition, our A team comfortably won. Overall it was a great weekend’s work for the ABC mathematicians.
Despite the competitive nature of the weekend there was a great community feel to the whole event. The students from the 21 different schools in the region mixed with each other and many new friendships were made. I am proud to say that our ABC students conducted themselves admirably and were great ambassadors for the school and El Salvador.
Despite the competitive nature of the weekend there was a great community feel to the whole event. The students from the 21 different schools in the region mixed with each other and many new friendships were made. I am proud to say that our ABC students conducted themselves admirably and were great ambassadors for the school and El Salvador.
The competition is open to all students in Grades 6, 7 and 8 and 2 of the Grade 6 students made it into the top ten. All of the students who made it into the top ten now have the opportunity to compete in the next round which is held in March in Mexico.
Next year we are looking for more girls to enter the competition so if you are a budding mathematician who loves to solve problems then see Mr Cañas to sign up for next year’s Mathcounts.
Mini Maker Fair 2020
From Ms. Judith Méndez
Our Secondary school students had the Mini Maker Fair as an introduction to the technological resources and tools that can be used for the different STEAM Fest projects.
Many of our students had the opportunity to explore, meet and enjoy our robots; Ozobot, Sphero and Lego. Create innovative circuits with LittleBits, Creating 3-dimensional models using 3Doodler pens, making virtual reality tours through Google Cardboard, and animation resources with rotoscopes.
All this as part of our next Steam Fest, taking place on March 12, 2020; where creativity, entrepreneurship, leadership, teamwork and much more will be demonstrated, within the areas of Science, Engineering, Technology, The Arts and Mathematics.
You can see the photos through this link on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/48254552@N04/albums/72157713001205736
Parent Partnership evening - “The Big Disconnect”- Protecting childhood and family relationships in the digital age’
Thank you to the parents who took their time to attend our Parent Partnership event which our Pastoral Coordinator and LSU coordinator facilitated. It is clear we have so much to learn still and we need to keep up to date with the latest trends and potential dangers in order to raise our children’s Media Literacy.
From Ms. María Eugenia Vides- University Counsellor
As part of the university counselling program at the ABC, we will be holding personalized meetings with those families that are interested in starting the process with their children. This is an opportunity to discuss future plans, explore options and set team objectives.
Next year we are looking for more girls to enter the competition so if you are a budding mathematician who loves to solve problems then see Mr Cañas to sign up for next year’s Mathcounts.
Mini Maker Fair 2020
From Ms. Judith Méndez
Our Secondary school students had the Mini Maker Fair as an introduction to the technological resources and tools that can be used for the different STEAM Fest projects.
Many of our students had the opportunity to explore, meet and enjoy our robots; Ozobot, Sphero and Lego. Create innovative circuits with LittleBits, Creating 3-dimensional models using 3Doodler pens, making virtual reality tours through Google Cardboard, and animation resources with rotoscopes.
All this as part of our next Steam Fest, taking place on March 12, 2020; where creativity, entrepreneurship, leadership, teamwork and much more will be demonstrated, within the areas of Science, Engineering, Technology, The Arts and Mathematics.
You can see the photos through this link on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/48254552@N04/albums/72157713001205736
Parent Partnership evening - “The Big Disconnect”- Protecting childhood and family relationships in the digital age’
Thank you to the parents who took their time to attend our Parent Partnership event which our Pastoral Coordinator and LSU coordinator facilitated. It is clear we have so much to learn still and we need to keep up to date with the latest trends and potential dangers in order to raise our children’s Media Literacy.
From Ms. María Eugenia Vides- University Counsellor
As part of the university counselling program at the ABC, we will be holding personalized meetings with those families that are interested in starting the process with their children. This is an opportunity to discuss future plans, explore options and set team objectives.
We invite you to schedule a meeting with us by calling 2201-6287.
Finally, next week we have our Learning Review Day for G11 and G12 by appointment. We look forward to seeing all the parents there!
Have a wonderful long weekend!
Kind regards,
Natalia Cáceres Escalón
Head of Secondary School
Dates for your Agenda
February
Friday 7th - Staff INSET Day - school closed for students
Monday 10th to Sunday 16th - ICT Silicon Valley Trip
Tuesday 11th -Grade 11/12 Learning Review Day in LRC all day (by appointment)
Thursday 13th - 7th Grade - Parent Teachers meeting - 4:00pm, Auditorium
Thursday 13th and Friday 14th - Grade 8 Empowerment trip
Tuesday 18th - Grade 10 Learning Review Day, all day in LRC (by appointment)
Wednesday 19th - Grade 7 empowerment Day
Friday 21st - Grade 12 Family Day
Friday 21st to Sunday 1st March - Art trip to Europe
Monday 24th to Friday 28th - Half Term holidays, school closed
Finally, next week we have our Learning Review Day for G11 and G12 by appointment. We look forward to seeing all the parents there!
Have a wonderful long weekend!
Kind regards,
Natalia Cáceres Escalón
Head of Secondary School
Dates for your Agenda
February
Friday 7th - Staff INSET Day - school closed for students
Monday 10th to Sunday 16th - ICT Silicon Valley Trip
Tuesday 11th -Grade 11/12 Learning Review Day in LRC all day (by appointment)
Thursday 13th - 7th Grade - Parent Teachers meeting - 4:00pm, Auditorium
Thursday 13th and Friday 14th - Grade 8 Empowerment trip
Tuesday 18th - Grade 10 Learning Review Day, all day in LRC (by appointment)
Wednesday 19th - Grade 7 empowerment Day
Friday 21st - Grade 12 Family Day
Friday 21st to Sunday 1st March - Art trip to Europe
Monday 24th to Friday 28th - Half Term holidays, school closed
March
Tuesday 3rd - Grade 12 Bio SL Deininger National Park Trip, 7:30am to 12:30pm
Tuesday 3rd to Saturday 7th - Mathcounts Trip - 10 students G6/8
Wednesday 4th - Knowledge Bowl Trip - after school
Thursday 5th - Secondary School Sports Day, 7am to 3:30pm
Friday 6th - Grade 9 PSAT Tests, 12m to 3pm
Tuesday 10th - Grade 10 Parent/Teacher Meetings/IB Options Evening, 4:30pm, PAC
Friday 13th - Central American College Tour, in Colegio La Floresta, 10am to 12:30pm
Saturday 14th - SAT Test, 8 to 9am
Friday 20th - Spanish Poetry Competition; Grade 10 Francophonie Day 2020
Friday 20th to Saturday 21st - Grade 9 Empowerment - Camping at school
Tuesday 24th - Grade 8 Parent/Teacher Meetings / IGCSE Options Evening
Tuesday 31st - Grade 6 Learning Review Day in LRC all day
The Basketball Bilingual League is finishing for all our teams. Congratulations to all the ABC Basketball Athletes, who have done their best at every game, here are some results:
Premini Boys Champions
Mini Boys Champions
Mini Girls 2nd place
Parasela Girls 3rd place
Cadet Girls 3rd place
Premini Girls Second place
Cadets Boys 4th place
Varsity Girls 4th place
Pasarela Boys are having their Final this week and the Varsity Boys are having their Semifinals, good luck to both teams!
To read more about this week’s Sports events, please visit our Instagram and Facebook pages.
Tuesday 3rd - Grade 12 Bio SL Deininger National Park Trip, 7:30am to 12:30pm
Tuesday 3rd to Saturday 7th - Mathcounts Trip - 10 students G6/8
Wednesday 4th - Knowledge Bowl Trip - after school
Thursday 5th - Secondary School Sports Day, 7am to 3:30pm
Friday 6th - Grade 9 PSAT Tests, 12m to 3pm
Tuesday 10th - Grade 10 Parent/Teacher Meetings/IB Options Evening, 4:30pm, PAC
Friday 13th - Central American College Tour, in Colegio La Floresta, 10am to 12:30pm
Saturday 14th - SAT Test, 8 to 9am
Friday 20th - Spanish Poetry Competition; Grade 10 Francophonie Day 2020
Friday 20th to Saturday 21st - Grade 9 Empowerment - Camping at school
Tuesday 24th - Grade 8 Parent/Teacher Meetings / IGCSE Options Evening
Tuesday 31st - Grade 6 Learning Review Day in LRC all day
The Basketball Bilingual League is finishing for all our teams. Congratulations to all the ABC Basketball Athletes, who have done their best at every game, here are some results:
Premini Boys Champions
Mini Boys Champions
Mini Girls 2nd place
Parasela Girls 3rd place
Cadet Girls 3rd place
Premini Girls Second place
Cadets Boys 4th place
Varsity Girls 4th place
Pasarela Boys are having their Final this week and the Varsity Boys are having their Semifinals, good luck to both teams!
To read more about this week’s Sports events, please visit our Instagram and Facebook pages.
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