Newsletter // April 2021

Dear ESIS Community,

It is hard to believe we are entering our final few weeks of school. However, as you will see, we are still working at full pace, and I am astounded by the quality of projects I am seeing across the whole school.

We also still have some excursions yet to take place, as well as our fabulous Spirit Day which always proves to be a fun and exciting event! The tally of points are currently very close between the Spirit Teams, so it is still anybody's game to win.

With regards to spirt points, I would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who donated books to the school. We were blown away by the amount and the quality, and it was lovely to have books in several different languages. We shall continue to award spirit points for any more students who wish to donate books they no longer use, so please feel free to bring these in any time up until the end of the semester.

Please remember, my door is always open for you, and I look forward to seeing many of you before the end of the semester.

Mel
Head of School

Upcoming Events

MAY 08
Official SAT Exam
11th and 12th graders
07:45 - 12:30

MAY 12
AP Microeconomics Exam
12:00 - 14:10

MAY 17
AP Comparative Politics Exam
8:00 - 10:30
AP Computer Science Exam
8:00 - 10:30

MAY 21
High School Excursion
Proposed date,
to be confirmed

MAY 24
Pentecost Monday
NO SCHOOL

MAY 25
AP Chemistry Exam
8:00 - 11:15
AP Statistics Exam
12:00 - 15:00

MAY 28
Spirit Day
All grades
10:00 - 17:00

Growing Together

This spring, students in elementary and middle school have broken ground on their new garden patch. With the help of the campus grounds and maintenance crew, two different raised beds have been added to the Elementary School area. "One is an herb garden and the other is for veggies," Dr. Boerkamps explained. The grounds crew was very enthusiastic about the project and they even planted several tomato plants of their own.

This garden is a collaborative project between Mr. Matthew's elementary Garden Club and Dr. Boerkamps' middle school Ecology enrichment class. Each group have planted their own seeds and will tend to their vegetables. Elementary planned the design of the garden on paper first. "We have planted herbs, carrots, peppers, and spinach already," said Dr. Boerkamps. "Now, we are rooting onions, potatoes, and ginger in the classroom to plant soon."

Students getting their hands dirty is a meaningful way to learn and build useful life skills. By observing the patterns of growth and the natural cycles of the seasons, students will connect more with the world around them. "I am very interested about the garden," said 8th grade Ecology student Yujiro. "There are some important processes I can learn from and how different factors affect plants' growth." When the growing season is over, we all look forward to sampling some delicious organic vegetables from the garden. "Its great! We won't have to buy them from the supermarket," said 8th grader Nora May.

Click to see more photos from the community garden

Every year Student Council organizes a fun Mixed Doubles tournament in the springtime. This year, Vice President Andreas C. put a lot of effort into making this event fun and full of spirit. "He did an EXCELLENT job," Mr. Rios shared. "He organized everything and made the tournament as fun and fair as he could."
From 14:00 to 17:00 on Friday, April 16th, a boy and a girl from each Spirit Team took part in the game. They competed until there were

only two teams remaining. The competition was stiff, and we are proud to announce that Kael and Emma from RED WOLVES were the winners! In second place were the Yellow Cheetahs, and the runners up were the Orange Wildcats. We would like to thank all students who participated in the tournament and everyone who cheered their team on! It is the dedication to positive sportsmanship that makes these events so fun.

The current Spirit Point tally puts the Red Wolves in first place, but it is still anybody's game to win! Spirit Day can change everything, and with the point totals so close, we will be excitedly awaiting those results!

Keep the Spirit Alive!

La Diada de Sant Jordi

Students in Ms. Garcia's middle school Catalan class acted the legend of Sant Jordi.

The festival of Sant Jordi is one of the most original celebrations in Catalonia and takes place in spring on April 23rd. It is a very popular holiday that combines culture, literature, and romanticism. The people here celebrate the day of their patron saint, Sant Jordi, with a curious tradition: giving the gifts of books and roses. Traditionally, men would receive a book and women would get a rose, but now, both men and women get both gifts.

To share this tradition with their students, the elementary and middle school Spanish and Catalan classes did many fun activities. The elementary students held a poetry recital by the pond, and middle school students acted out the legend of Sant Jordi and the Dragon. The students worked together to create bookmarks and paper roses to sell for charity as well. They raised money for the Make a Wish Foundation. In all, it was a wonderful day full of heroic acts and literary appreciation.

In addition, the administration held a Sant Jordi book drive for the school's libraries. Students were awarded spirit points for their generous donations. "We were blown away by the amount and quality of the books," Ms. Rose said. It is always wonderful to have books in several different languages as it reflects the diversity of the students who attend our school.

We will continue awarding spirit points for donations throughout the semester.

Click to see more photos from the Sant Jordi celebrations

Learning Moments at a Glance

Middle school students went on a field trip to an indoor rock-climbing gym near Barcelona. They showed their strength and perseverance when scaling the steep walls in the gym.

Mr. Green's Algebra 1 class got active while solving problems on the board. By using their bodies and minds when learning, students retain more knowledge and gain confidence in math!

Elementary students in Mr. Curia's multi-sports PE class practiced Acrosport in the sand. It is like acrobatics and gymnastics combined. Students enjoyed making fun formations in their 'bubble' group!

Proud of Our Alumni!

Carlos Seriñana was part of the graduating class of 2018. He is now attending university and completing his internship on campus.

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