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Newsletter // January 2021

Dear ESIS Community, 

   We had a wonderful start to the semester with our Awards Ceremony, which celebrated both our students academic achievements as well as how they demonstrate that they are meeting our Character Matters School Values. We are pleased to share the names of some of the students with you within this newsletter.

   I am sure you have seen the many wonderful activities that have been taking place, both inside and outside of the classroom. If you are not following us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, you can click the links below.

   May I also take this opportunity to inform you that we have a WEBINAR on Tuesday, February 2nd  at 18:30. This will be a short presentation, followed by a Q&A to introduce people to both ESIS and AS-C. If you know anybody who may be thinking of joining us, they can sign up for the webinar on the link below.

Thank you for your continued support!

Mel 
Head of School

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Upcoming Events

FEB 01 - 03
MAP Testing
Elementary School

FEB 02
AP Spanish MOCK Exam
Practice test

FEB 04 - 11
MAP Testing
Middle School
 

FEB 08
Student Photo Day
Individual student photos
for new students
 

FEB 12 - 15
NO SCHOOL
 

MAR 03
PSAT-NMSQT Exam
9th and 10th graders
14:30 - 18:30

Super Fun Spirit Week

What better way to start the semester and earn some Spirit Points than a week full of funky challenges? We started off easy on Monday, January 18th with students wearing their Spirit House colors. On Tuesday, we amped up the challenge with a Crazy Hat Day. On Wednesday, students and teachers alike had to find a friend and dress alike. As a follow-up to Crazy Hat Day, Thursday was Crazy HAIR Day. And to wrap up the week in style, we had Formal Wear Friday! Those who showed spirit and dressed up could earn 5 points per day. It has to be  said, that  the

elementary school students were over-the-moon to show off their dress-up skills, and the teams with younger members raced to the top of the chart.

The Spirit Teams in the lead are now the Purple Panthers with 1060 points, the Green Snakes with 953 points, and in third place, the Blue Sharks with 831 points. Bravo and a big thanks to all of the teams who participated and showed some Spirit! We look forward to even more enthusiasm in future Spirit House challenges throughout the semester!

Click to see more photos from Spirit Week.
Play-Based Learning

Each year, our elementary teachers take different professional development courses that keep them up to date with the philosophies and techniques of the IB Primary Years Programme (IB PYP). IB training encourages critical thinking, self-reflection and continuous improvement as a teacher.  It gives them access to innovative and diverse education frameworks, planning documents, teaching resources and evaluation tools that improve student learning. First grade teacher, Mr. Matthews recently completed an IB course about the benefits of Play Based Learning. "It inspired me to explore some exciting ideas with the other elementary teachers in terms of how we can integrate more play-based and outdoor learning into our educational experiences," explained Mr. Matthews. 

Currently, the PYP unit of inquiry is 'How We Express Ourselves', which has been the perfect opportunity for elementary teachers to develop learning experiences with an emphasis on drama, dramatic play, music, creativity and the senses.  Second and 3rd grade have been focusing on poetry, photography, film and architecture.  They have designed and directed their own film, and also built their own smart skyscrapers inspired by and produced with materials from nature.  Fourth and 5th grade have explored expression through music and dance.  They have engaged in voice lessons and the exploration of movement through a Tik Tok dance challenge.  In addition to this, four students will work with Mr. Matthews to create a dramatic performance to present to the other elementary students. 

We look forward to seeing more learning through play throughout the semester!
Private Tour of La Pedrera
Second and third graders have been investigating nature’s influence on architecture, and what better place to be in than Barcelona. Our city is the center of modernist architecture, and is home to famous architect Antoni Gaudi's masterpiece La Sagrada Familia (among other residential buildings).    

All elementary students enjoyed a private tour of Gaudi’s Casa Milà (La Pedrera). They were guided through Gaudi’s personal nature collection, and they discovered these same elements visible in the entryways, floors, stairwells, walls and details of the building. After the tour, they took part in a mosaic workshop, where they smashed tiles to create their own ‘trencadís’ pieces. 
Students in 4th and 5th grade explored the ideas of self-expression through writing. They learned the vocabulary necessary to describe their feelings thought out the day, wrote their own narrative stories, and created collages about different genres of literature.

In Ms. Jimenez's Spanish and Catalan class, the students brought in examples of art from their houses in order to discuss how creativity helps us express our emotions. Overall, this Unit of Inquiry has been a positive learning experience for everyone.

Alumna to Play in the Australian Open

This month one of our alumni, Francesca Jones, qualified to compete in the Australian Open in February.  She was a very special student who made a great impact on everyone she met here on campus. Her dedication, effort, and sense of humor are remembered fondly by all of her former teachers and coaches.

She joined our school in 2010 when she was in the 5th grade, and she quickly became class representative in the Student Council. She held that position in her cohort for the next 4 years. During that time, she helped to design and implement activities such as the Thanksgiving Luncheon and the Calcotada, which have become annual traditions we still do today.

Francesca’s dedication to her sports training and her studies was impressive. Even though her

tournament schedule had her traveling abroad regularly, she was able to stay in communication with her teachers and classmates. “She was away a lot, but she always did all of the work to an excellent level,” remembered Dr. Boerkamps.  It is this effort and dedication that we continue to see today as she enters a new phase in her professional tennis career.

As Francesca awaits her first match at the Australian Open on February 9th, she took the time to offer some advice to our students. "Absorb the cultures and people that surround you, as it is a privilege to share your day to day life with such a diverse group of people. Do not take the experience for granted and value those who help you grow," she said. 

Good luck Francesca! We are all rooting for you!

Francesa Jones is a valued member of our ESIS and AS-C family.
We are proud of you, Fran!
Activities Around Campus



Students in Mr. Rios' high school math classes continue to expand their numerical knowledge by using real world problems. They share their own unique algorithms with the class which encourages collaboration and shared learning. 




Back by popular demand! Mr. Gaudin's 'Guitars, Guitars' club is now happening three days a week during the Change Makers class. Students will learn how to play chords and fun songs together.




12th graders in Dr. Boerkamp's Chemistry class conducted a very clean experiment. Using natural ingredients, they studied the saponification process and produced their own lavender scented soap.  



11th graders in Mr. Collins' American Literature class illustrated powerful lines from the poem "Dulce et Decorum Est." This poem was written by the poet Wilfred Owen during World War I. The creativity and craft students demonstrated for this project are inspiring.
Congratulations to Our Fall Semester Award Winners!
Important Notice About Traveling

As you know, we are working very hard to keep our campus safe. With this in mind, please can you restrict the amount of traveling you and your children do.  We have a long weekend coming up in February with school closed on Friday 12th and Monday 15th February. We would ask that you do not travel at this time unless absolutely necessary.

In any case, please be aware that vacations within school time cannot be authorized.

Thank you for your support!

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

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-OUR MISSION-
The mission of ES International 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

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