Newsletter // September 2022

Dear Families and Friends,

What a wonderful start to the academic year we have had! The school has grown, and we now have more students than ever before in the school’s history! This has brought great opportunities, and students are enjoying getting to know each other and learning about the even wider range of cultures we have on campus.

This academic year we continue our focus on reading, and I would like to thank those parents who ensured their children completed the summer reading during the holidays. Bridging the gap between reading at home and at school enabled these students to return with an embedded reading habit, supporting them to start the new academic year with reading confidence. I am pleased to see many more students reading around school rather than playing games on their mobile phones. We shall be giving extra Spirit House points for those who ‘Get Caught Reading’ around the school.

Here is Leo, who looks like he is coming to the end of his book. I wonder what he will be reading next?

I hope you enjoy our first newsletter and reading about all about the activities the students have done so far this year. Remember to look out for our newsletters at the end of each month!

All the best,

Mel Rose
Head of School

Upcoming Events

OCT 01
Official SAT Exam
11th and 12th grade students
07:45 - 12:30

OCT 12
Columbus Day
No School
No Tennis Training

OCT 19
Spirit House Meeting
Locations TBD
11:20 - 12:00

OCT 25
PSAT - NMSQT Exam
11th students only
14:00 - 18:00

OCT 27
Halloween Costume Contest
All grades
14:00 - 16:00

OCT 28
Professional Development Day
Teachers on campus ONLY
No School
No Tennis Training

OCT 31
Elected Holiday
No School
Tennis Training is available

NOV 01
All Saint's Day
No School
No Tennis Training

'Tuning In' to Who We Are

Elementary is staring the school year off with their first Unit of Inquiry: Who We Are. Lower Elementary is exploring how families help define who we are. They have been working on identifying family members and making connections on a family tree. Upper Elementary is delving into the choices we make that impact our physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. While ‘’tuning in’’ to this idea, they have discovered what they

know and what they want to know about the human body and wellness.

Our Spanish and Catalan teachers connected these ideas using culture. Lower and Upper have been exploring the importance of La Mercè, and the cultural and social aspects of this festival. On September 22, they visited Barcelona to see Els Gegants and Las Bestias before the weekend’s festivities kicked off.

Middle School Students Take Action

The middle school Changemakers class has been very active so far this year. They have a mission to make a difference for the members of our community and have decided to start by supporting an organization that is near and dear to our heart: SOS Galgos.

The mother of our alumna, Cloe Clements, started the SOS Galgo (Spanish greyhound) rescue organization over 22 years ago and recently needed to build a new facility to help more dogs. On Friday, September 23rd, the Changemakers held a bake sale to raise

money to support SOS Galgos in assisting more dogs. In total, they raised a €308 donation for the galgos!

On Tuesday, October 4th, the Changemakers were invited to visit the SOS Galgos new Rescue and Education Center. It was a great way to see their donation put to action and meet the dogs they are helping.

We look forward to seeing what else the Changemakers have planned for this year!

Click to read student work about the UN SDGs

Starting the Year with a Pool Party!

As a fun end to the first week of school, all students participated in a Friday afternoon pool party. This was not only a great way to unwind and get to know one another, but also a chance for everyone to discover their Spirit House. In order to find out their Spirit Houses for the year, students had to find their names in the pool and join their groups.

All students and teachers are placed into 8 different Spirit Houses. Points are awarded to students throughout the year for upholding school values and doing exceptional work. Points are collected until the final event of the year - Spirit Day - and the winning Spirit House is announced. Keep the spirit alive, everyone!

Click to see more photos from the pool party

Preparing for the Model UN

Ms. Wynne and Mr. Lopez held a workshop during teacher in-service week about the Moduel UN and their goals for this year.

This semester all middle school and high school students will work towards preparing for the Module United Nations conference. Students will be assigned a diplomatic problem (i.e. climate change) and a country to represent. They will work towards creating a UN resolution that offers a solution to the problem from the perspective of the country they represent. Language arts teachers will be involved in helping students draft their resolutions using adequate 'UN friendly' language.

This semester, students will present their resolutions to other student delegations from our school. "The end goal is that the students´ resolutions get enough votes from the other delegations and pass," explained Mr. Lopez. Those delegations with outstanding resolutions will move on to form the representative delegation from our school at the Model UN Conference. This initiative will give students the opportunity to research, read, write, speak in public, and negotiate - all necessary life skills.

Introducing the New Student Council

The votes are in! Students across all grade levels have selected their representatives for the 2022-2023 Student Council. It was a tight race, and we are proud to announce the winners:

President: Leana M.
Vicepresident: Patty M.
Secretary: Roman U.
9th grade: Raqueem V.

8th grade: Jagoda R.
7th grade: Lera U.
6th grade: Alexa B.
Elementary: Alexia C. and Maya N.

We look forward to participating in all of the fun events you are planning for the year and seeing how you implement your initiatives to make the campus a better place for all!

Learning Moments at a Glance

11th graders had their first advisory session of the year and participated in a fun team building exercise.

Students in Dr. Boerkamps' 8th grade advisory class did a team building exercise where they had to work together to move a marker to write and draw.

Students in 7th grade science practiced building molecules with modeling kits.

11th graders started the university application process with BridgeU, which connects international schools to universities in over 140 different countries.

Students in Mr. Marti's Spanish 1 Honors class played an active game to practice new vocabulary. Movement helps memory!

Middle school Catalan students are working on a group presentation project.

7th graders in Ms. Roselló's Math 2 class, students go to the board to demonstrate their knowledge about multiplying and dividing fractions.

Proud of Our Alumni!

Watch to learn what alumni Vlad Herescu remembers most about his 9 years on campus.

We do so much more than can fit in a newsletter!

FOLLOW US TO SEE ALL OF OUR PHOTOS

-OUR MISSION-

The mission of ES American School is to be an exemplary learning and athletic community. We challenge ourselves to be better through an emphasis on critical thinking, and intellectual and social awareness. Students develop a passion for learning through individualized support in a nurturing environment. Our success is founded on effective communication and an engaging academic curriculum.

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ES American School · Autovia Castelldefels C-31 km 191 · El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona 08820 · Spain