Newsletter // January 2022

Elementary started the new year with their third unit of inquiry – Where We Are in Place and Time. They are delving into the idea of 'exploration' and how it can lead to discoveries, opportunities, and change. Lower Elementary will make personal connections to exploration through the topic of migrations, while students in Upper Elementary will focus on researching

explorers that pique their interest. Students are looking forward to investigating why and how we explore (including advances in transportation and navigation), as well as what happens when we explore (and how perspectives might differ).

Stay tuned to discover how they choose to share their learning!

Students from the 2D Art class and the Middle School Enrichment class took a field trip to MACBA: The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art. They saw works by famous modern artists such as Picasso and Jean Michel Basquiat. We look forward to sharing more photos from the next museum excursions planned throughout the semester.

Last semester Mr. Gaudin introduced his students to National Geographic’s Project Exploration 3.0. This was a virtual conference for students all around the world. "There were three categories, and my classmates and I joined the Middle School conference," explained 6th grader Ron T. "We learned about the meaning of global citizenship and how to be globally minded."

During the conference students learned about ways to be more aware of the planet and world communities. They were able to submit questions before the conference, and proudly had their question addressed live during the video session. Because of their exemplary demonstration of global mindedness, the students who participated were awarded with a special certificate from National Geographic.

Learning about making a change inspired this group of students to take action in their own environment.  "We remembered that there are streams surrounding our school which seemed dirty, and we were eager to test the water," said Ron T.  "So, we got a water testing kit and would like to see if there are any pollutants affecting the different water sources on campus." he described. If the students discover anything,

they have decided to alert the water management companies. "Our class really hopes to help our environment by reducing pollution, rebuilding habitats, starting a reforestation community," concluded Ron.

We are so proud of your ambition and desire to make a positive change in the world!

It has been an intense fall for our seniors as they prepare and submit applications for universities. This year is no different to any other: essays are drafted and re-drafted, university lists narrowed,  letters of recommendations compiled, transcripts submitted.  

The university placement process is an intense and long-term undertaking that typically begins in 11th grade. Each of our students is carefully guided through the process in an individualized program tailored to their particular needs. Student-athletes approach the process with an additional challenge of not just finding appropriate universities based on academics and budget but also based on their respective sport. Students who are pursuing university careers as non-athletes approach this process in a more traditional way. All of our students receive personalized attention in working through what is undeniably an important and sometimes stressful process. Their experience throughout fosters growth and maturity as they learn more about themselves, what they want and what will be the next landing spot for their continued growth. 

ESA Class of 2022 submitted university applications all around the globe; some of our students will go to the US and play varsity tennis, continuing their journeys as student-athletes and taking all the hard-won lessons learned here at ESA&S with them. Others will be continuing their academic endeavors in universities here in Europe, and some are still awaiting acceptance decisions in order to finalize their plans for the fall of 2022. And some of our students will take a gap year to pursue passions while figuring out what comes next.  

What is always clear about our ESA graduates is how well prepared they are to face the next step in their journey. They have garnered a great deal of experience here and learned valuable transferable skills that will allow them to successfully navigate the next phase. They are resilient, resourceful, responsible, and ready!  

At present, here is a list of seniors who have confirmed their university places and have already committed:  

This semester is my last semester at ES American School, and I would like to do as many things as possible to help make the future of my schoolmates even better. I will try to organize more activities because they bring everyone together. One of the best things about this school is that everyone is close with each other, and special events helps us grow. This year will be challenging because of Covid, but that will not stop us. Student Council has already showed many times that we always find ways to make people smile.  We hope to have more excursions that will help us make more memories together.

We already have lots of fun things planned for the

next few months. We will have our yearly mixed doubles tournament soon, and we know everyone loves watching their spirit team give a great effort! In addition, I will want to celebrate more holidays and give chances for teams to earn more spirit points by dressing up on those days. For example, on Valentine's Day everyone can wear red, and on Carnival everyone should wear something colorful. Lastly, I will try to have the Multicultural Fair at the end of the semester because we all enjoy and miss it. I have faith that my team and I will give 100% to achieve these goals, and everyone will be smiling throughout the semester.