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DIGITAL CHAPEL Issue #56 | Mar 2019

WELCOME BREAKFAST

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INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

ELEMENTARY ADVENTURES

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HIGH SCHOOL: ESD TRIPS

THIMUN: CHAPEL IN THE HAGUE

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CHAPEL’S BEST UNDER 40

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WELCOME BREAKFAST Families enjoy welcoming event The traditional beginning of the year event, Welcome Back Chapel Parents Breakfast, happened on February 15 and brought more than 80 parents together for a scrumptious colonial breakfast with the presence of our principals and superintendent, Ms. Lucy Nunes.

According to Ms. Nunes, ‘this event aims to initiate the semester joyfully and positively, so that both new and previous Chapel parents can get together, meet new friends and see old ones’.

Families were welcomed by the superintendent, who shared important information such as the new Young Trojans project and Chapel's Santo Eugênio social school. She also highlighted the diverse means of communication between the school and parents and reiterated security procedures.

Ms. Nunes also described the professional development opportunities teachers have had and pointed out the workshops provided by psychologist Leo Fraiman (who guided teachers on how to help students explore different career choices), and, in July 2018, specialist Lee Ann Jung gave coaching on inclusion and assessment. The meeting ended with a team–building activity to strengthen the bonds between the school community.

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INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL Chapel’s greatest cultural diversity celebration is around the corner

International Festival preparations are full steam ahead! The event will happen on March 30th and will involve the whole community in a celebration of Chapel’s renowned history of internationalism. This year, 24 countries will be represented in 22 booths – including the brand new Chinese one, which will showcase the delicacies and cultural aspects of the country.

Food, drinks, dance, traditional garments and folk shows will compose this great party which is organized by parents and volunteers and brings thousand of people together every year. Another highlight of this year’s celebration is the charitable initiative promoted by elementary students. They will sell cup holders produced by the CARES program in the Makerspace and all the revenue will be donated to Chapel–sponsored charities.

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Fast pass tickets can be purchased in advance and valet service will be provided to guests. ‘I am more than happy to invite everyone to enjoy this festival which was planned with so much love and care by our Chapel parents – it is a moment to celebrate our roots and unique culture derived from our diverse backgrounds’, invites Ms. Lucy Nunes.

International Weeks The International Weeks happen in the two weeks prior to the International Festival in order to foster cultural diversity from Pre I to 5th grade. 'It is all about bringing the culture of the families to the classroom, motivating kids to come to the big event. We say it is almost a round–the–world–trip in two weeks', explains Juliana Menezes, ECEC principal.

Between March 18th and 29th, volunteer parents make short and age– appropriate presentations in the classrooms about their homelands. Parents use images, music, local childhood games and traditional dishes to represent cultural aspects of their countries. 'Presentations are cozy and familiar, to small student groups. Children are very excited to welcome families into their classrooms and to learn words in other languages, and also about animals, customs, clothes, flags and games.', comments Ms. Menezes. All presentations are photographed and documented on bulletin boards used by the teachers to address the International Festival.

‘Our goals are: to celebrate our student body and to form international–minded citizens who respect diversity. Even though cultural diversity is part of Chapel’s daily life, it is important that families enrich the learning of children by sharing their experiences, practices and new ways of thinking the world. Despite being born in different countries, it is crucial to remember that we are one, regardless of our cultural background and nationality’, concludes Ms. Menezes.

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SOCIAL EMOTIONAL CURRICULUM Elementary trips: learning autonomy Chapel’s beginning of the semester is known by the field trips taken by most grade levels. In elementary, students start going on field trips in second grade, when they spend a whole day out of school. Third graders spend two days in their destination, spending a night away from home. “For many children, this is their first experience sleeping away from their parents, this is the reason why this moment is so meaningful and important for all of us’, states Ms. Cavalcanti, ECEC to 4th grade counselor.

The counselor and nine teachers chaperoned the students from February 14 – 15 as the 2nd and 3rd grades went to Sítio Carroção, an educational resort 150 kilometers away from SP city in Tatuí. Third graders were welcomed by the tour guides on the 14th and started the ‘adventures’ (as hiking trails are called) straight away. At night there was closure with a dance party, shadow puppetry and games.

‘Besides having fun with their friends, students grow by being autonomous, such as when they manage their belongings, make their beds or apply sunscreen’, explains Ms. Cavalcanti. On the following day, students were joined by the 2nd graders for one more day of adventures and team building activities.

4th, 5th and 6th graders visited República Lago (Replago), 190 kilometers away from São Paulo, in Leme, from February 27 to March 1. Students were chaperoned by counselor Cristina Cavalcanti, ES principal Serena Aguilar and nine teachers during their two nights away. ‘Trips gradually increase students’ independence level. At this age range, for instance, students are free to choose the activities they want to participate in and they are able to circulate between the different workshops’, explains Ms. Cavalcanti.

Replago’s team provides workshops on diverse topics – music, circus, juggling, biology, capoeira, cooking, among others – and students are invited to choose experiences in their freetime such as: tree–top adventures, hiking and swimming DIGITAL CHAPEL #56

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in the lake and pool. ‘The camping experiences are important to kids, because they allow students to be autonomous, to miss their home and parents and to manage these feelings. The distance leads to significant emotional growth’, comments Ms. Cavalcanti. She adds: ‘When asked what they liked the most over the year, students’ unanimous answer is: the trips!’.

Click here to see these adventures’ photo album.

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HIGH SCHOOL: ESD TRIPS Get to know the Education for Sustainable Development trips.

As a curricular component of Chapel’s Education for Sustainable Development Program, this year’s 7th to 11th grade field trips happened from February 11 – 15.

‘The goal of the trips is to allow students to experience successful initiatives and to be aware of challenges faced to meet the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals proposed in 2015 for the next 15 years’, explains Ms. Brandespim, general trip leader.

According to her, three years ago, the destinations were chosen after thorough study and reflection in order to raise students’ awareness of environmental, social and economic sustainability. ‘UNESCO’s [UN’s education, science and communication agency] defines sustainability as a conscientious use of resources, therefore, our trips’ essential question is: to what extent does meeting the needs and desires of our current society contribute to the ability of future generations to meet their own needs? We always keep social, economical and environmental aspects in mind.”, clarifies the coordinator.

She highlights that this guiding statement allows knowledge to be scaffolded through different destinations, providing age–appropriate challenges and aligning with the curriculum of each grade level. ‘Students use their five senses during trips to truly experience the reality of each destination, develop individual growth, autonomy and management skills, in addition to seeing theory become practice’, adds Ms. Brandespim.

Get to know details of each group’s trip.

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7th GRADE | DESTINATION: PARATY (RJ) – UBATUBA (SP) Quilombo, village, beach and mangrove Throughout one of the most beautiful seaside roads connecting Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo, the 7th grade trip approached the cultural diversity of the caiçara, quilombola and indigenous local people. The trip leader, Ms. Marina Veronesi, said students started their studies in Paraty by visiting the main historical sites. ‘On the second day, we visited Quilombo do Campinho, participated in a basket weaving workshop and had a talk on what a quilombo is – the people who live there, how it was formed – and on the great achievement it was for those people to own their current lands. We also learned about their sustainable way of living by planting palmito–juçara (palm heart), selling handcraft art and offering lectures on afro–Brazilian culture to tourists’, explains Ms. Veronesi.

At night, students participated in a wooden boat workshop with the caiçara community and on a traditional dance class with cirandeiros.

On the third day, the group visited Núcleo Picinguaba, a conservation area in Ubatuba, where there was a lecture on the Atlantic rainforest and its importance to the ecosystem. 'Students visited the mangrove and learned about the local beach and the different species of crabs and plants'. The teacher adds: 'Students discussed the role of the restinga (sandbanks) and the impact of human actions on the environment'.

On their last day, students visited Boa Vista, where they learned about aspects of the guarani culture and the Projeto Tamar, a turtle conservation project. ‘The explanation about the impact human–produced trash has on the sea and sea life, especially turtles, was remarkable’, explains Ms. Veronesi. She adds: ‘All trip activities are connected to the social, environmental and economical pillars of sustainability’.

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8th GRADE | DESTINATION: PETAR (IPORANGA E APIAÍ – SP) Tracks, rivers, caves and the Atlantic Rainforest Eighth graders visited Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira (Petar) – one of the oldest conservation areas in São Paulo – founded in 1958 by Universidade de São Paulo (USP) for ecological studies. Petar is located 320 kilometers away from São Paulo city, to the South, close to Iporanga and Apiaí cities. Its 357 km2 is the largest Atlantic rainforest conservation area in Brazil, which allows the preservation of its great biodiversity through the protection of several endangered animal and plant species. Petar is one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites in Brazil.

In its domains, there are more than 300 caves and an abundance of rivers and streams, making the park one of the most important tourist destinations in the state of São Paulo. 'When students learn about the park and environmental protection history in Brazil, they can discuss sustainability-related issues, since tourism is the main source of revenue for that region', explains Mr. Henrique Beltrano, trip leader. He also states that the trip is full of adventures, allowing students to have an intense contact with nature. 'In PETAR, students practice their resilience skills by hiking on trails and exploring the caves. They leave their comfort zones and react well to challenges', he comments.

During the four days away, 8th graders visited caves, rivers, trails and a quilombola community. They also visited Reserva Betary, an IPBIO – Instituto de Pesquisas da Biodiversidade (Biodiversity Research Institute) – 60-hectare conservation area. ‘It is a major biological study center that receives researchers from all over the world’, finalizes Mr. Beltrano.

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9th GRADE | DESTINATION: EXTREMA (MG) The water pathway In Extrema (MG) city, 9th graders engaged in a sustainability case study: Projeto Conservador das Águas (Water Conservation Project). The project was developed in 2005 by the city hall, and it was the first PSA (Pagamento por Serviços Ambientais – Payment for Environmental Services) in Brazil. It aims at protecting the water resources that feed the Cantareira system, which is responsible for 50% of São Paulo's population water supply. To do so, the city administration must pay landowners to protect the riverheads located in their lands – an area of more than 7,000 hectares that houses about 700 riverheads.

Extrema, the first city when arriving to Minas Gerais state, is 130 kilometers away from São Paulo. The Jaguari conversation area is also located there, and houses hundreds of the project's riverheads. 'On this trip, we were able to notice how the city developed while preserving the riverheads with reforestation, and it was easy to see the reason why deforestation eliminates them'. comments Mr. Erick Santana, trip leader.

He explains the trip's guiding question is: What is the water pathway?. 'To answer this question, we climbed up Serra do Lopo. At the top, we could see Extrema– MG facing North, and Joanópils–SP, to the South. We then moved back down into the forest for about 7 km until downtown, listening to the riverhead that flows to the Jaguari dam, in Bragança Paulista–SP.', informs the teacher. On their second day, the group visited a rural property inside the conservation area whose organic agricultural produce is sold to the city hall and redirected to schools for lunch. Students also visited the project's headquarters, where a seedling nursery is located. 'We brought two seedlings to plant at Chapel', tells Mr. Santana.

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In Extrema's urban area, the group visited workers neighborhoods in the outskirts, which were planned by tax exemption policies proposed by the city hall to attract industries to the region. 'Under a blazing sun, in a treeless place, students were struck by the differences between that scenario and the conservation area.

This contradiction was addressed at the trip's closing assembly', explains the teacher. On their return, students built a 3D model of the watershed based on what they observed in the field trip.

‘This year, we introduced a new activity, and collected all the trash produced by us during the trip and took it to a landfill where trash is separated and recycled.’, finalizes Mr. Santana.

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10th GRADE | DESTINATION: FOZ DO IGUAÇU (PR) Tripoint, hydroelectric power plant and national park According to Mr. Carmello, trip leader, the city of Foz do Iguaçu, in Paraná state, is not only a destination with awesome infrastructure and natural attractions, but also the ideal place to observe and discuss the economical, social and environmental sustainability pillars. ‘Since it is a tripoint, students can see, right before their eyes, what is taught in the History and geography lessons’, he explains.

The teacher told us students had the opportunity of observing how the Brazilian–Argentinian border is controlled and even crossed on foot, which allowed them to experience, not only aspects of curriculum, but also day–to–day life for people there. During the four trip days, the group went on a panoramic ride over Iguaçu Falls and got to know the Itaipu hydroelectric power plant and several attractions of Iguaçu National Park. ‘We visited the Brazilian side of the park and spent a day on the Argentinian one’ explains Mr. Carmello.

While exploring the region, students visited the Ecomuseu de Itaipu – a museum devoted to the history of the hydroelectric plant and of the region where it was built – and the Parque das Aves, a bird park close to the falls. The group also went to Macuco Safari on a boat ride on the Iguaçu river, heading to an adventure under the waterfalls. In the city, they visited UNILA's (Universidade Federal da Integração Latino– Americana) campus, whose student body integrates Brazilian, Paraguayan, Argentinian and Uruguayan people. They also visited a mosque, since Foz do Iguaçu holds the largest Muslim community in Brazil.

Mr. Vinicius Carmello highly regards field trips: ‘I believe the external observation and the perceptions and feelings allow deep learning to happen in all school subjects. Field work engages students in the learning experience in a natural way, which is essential to strengthening their learning.

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11th GRADE | DESTINATION: CHAPADA DOS VEADEIROS (GO) AND BRASÍLIA (DF) Brazilian savannah, satellite city and the nucleus of the political power According to Mr. Érico Padilha,11th grade trip leader, this experience was planned so that ‘students could get to know, in a practical way, how the power relationships between the government, communities and the conservation areas are established’. The research started at the National Park of Chapada dos Veadeiros, a conservation area created in 1961 and located at the north– western region of Goiás. It comprises more than 240,000 hectares of Brazilian Savannah, with unique vegetation, hundreds of water bodies, riverheads and rocks over one– billion years old..

It is a landscape of rare beauty, with features that change throughout the year’, comments Mr. Padilha. He explains the park – one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites since 2001 – preserves former mining areas as part of the local history. ‘Besides learning how a national park is managed, students also lived a sensorial experience with different fruit colors, plants and minerals and could feel the flavor of local fruits’, adds the teacher.

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themselves, others and the environment through projects students choose themselves.

The second part of the trip aimed at providing students with a behind–the– scenes view of the Brazilian political power. ‘In Brasília, we could get to know and observe how the Chamber and the Federal Senate work, and students talked to different political leaderships’, tells Mr. Padilha, and he adds: ‘It was very rewarding for students to meet and talk to congressmen, senators and ministers about political, economic and social aspects of Brazil’.

Still in Distrito Federal, the juniors visited Ceilândia satellite city and Grupo Atitude, an NGO that demands improvements for the life quality of outskirts citizens through an area that offers cultural workshops on music and street art.

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THIMUN: CHAPEL EM HAIA Chapel students travel to the Netherlands to participate in Model United Nations

Along with 3200 students from 200 schools all over the world, 11 Chapel students participated in the THIMUN (The Hague International Model United Nations), a UN simulation which happens every year at the World Forum Convention Center, in the Hague, Netherlands.

Chapel’s team represented the Republic of Latvia, and the 10th and 11th grade students acted as diplomats in the committee sessions of the United Nations. To do so, team members study, debate, deliberate, consult and present solutions to international issues. ‘Chaperoning students whose only goal is to become more knowledgeable by brilliantly representing a country was an extremely rewarding new experience‘ praises Ms. Sara Knox, who chaperoned the group with Mr. Benjamin Vaughan, IB coordinator and MUN advisor.

Between January 27 and February 1, each student from the Chapel team represented in a different committee – environment, economy, immigration and defense, among others. ‘The team proved itself as autonomous and independent.

Students became well–informed about country–specific subjects and it was particularly amazing to witness how they genuinely developed their roles, such as advocating for those nation’s environmental and political causes’, adds Ms. Knox.

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hotel. ‘It was easy to see how serious they took the event’, states Mr. Vaughan.

The teacher adds: ‘Since this is the largest MUN conference, participating in this event is a great achievement’. Mr. Vaughan highlights that their participation was even more special to the Kapur family, because their father also represented his school at the Hague when he was a student.

Get to know the students who represented Chapel at THIMUN: Anika K. Enrique E. Henrique R. Julia A. Neil K. Patrick El J. Patrick K. Pedro de M. Rhea K. Rodrigo L. Vitor C.

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CHAPEL’S BEST UNDER 40: Rebecca Negro Rocha, 22 anos.

Where she lives: Boston, Miami and São Paulo Years enrolled at Chapel: 10th grade (2011) to 12th grade (2014) What is your academic background?

I graduated in 2018 with a triple major in International Relations, Economics and Political Science from Tufts University, in Medford, Massachusetts. In September 2021, I will start my Masters at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, at the same University.

Briefly describe your professional life.

I worked for companies and non–governmental organizations both in Brazil and in the United States, exploring the different ways of implementing social and economic change in society, at the local and national scales. Today, I work as an entrepreneur with one of the biggest organizations in the field – Endeavor. My long term goal is to have a career in international economic development, especially on how to launch new technologies that will develop productive and sustainable solutions to daily/chronic problems in societies like Brazil, for example.

Your greatest goal in life is: I still have a long way to go before I am ready to answer this question properly. What I can say is that I want to dedicate every single day of my life to a cause I believe in, so that I can wake up 50 years from now being certain that I contributed a little to the well–being of our planet.

But it wouldn’t be a bad idea to become Secretary– General of the United Nations, don’t you think?

Tell us your best memory from Chapel.

Planning Chapel Olympics with the NHS (National Honor Society). All the Big 8 and Big 4 tournaments. And, of course, Mr. Murphy’s classes!

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DIGITAL CHAPEL is a Chapel School publication. All rights reserved.

R. Vigário João de Pontes, 537. – Chácara Flora – CEP 04748–000 São Paulo – SP – Brazil Phone: +55 11 5521–7763 – www.chapelschool.com Articles: Paula Veneroso and Chapel team – Translation: Chapel School Photos: Chapel files – Design: Otávio Garcia

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