SPOTLIGHT: ACADEMIC RIGOR English

MAGAZINE

1202 * LIRPA

SPOTLIGHT

STRENGTHENING OUR ROOTS: DEEPEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW LEARNING TAKES PLACE AT ESCOLA CONCEPT

INTERVIEWS WITH OUR LEARNERS ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE PATHWAYS PROGRAM AND THE AP DIPLOMA?

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Strengthening our roots to foster lifelong learning

PEDAGOGIGAL DOCUMENTATION

Kinder educator shares her notes and observations

DESIGN THINKING Curiosity that moves us to learn!

CONTENTS

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EDITORIAL

“WHEN AM I GOING TO USE THIS?” The teaching of mathematics at Escola Concept

ILLUSTRATIVE MATHEMATICS PROGRAM Interview with Phil Daro, International Math Specialist

THE LESSONS FROM BRAMUN AND THE OLYMPIC MATH KANGAROO COMPETITION Our learners tell what they learned from student competitions

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A JOURNEY OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE INSPIRED BY STANFORD UNIVERSITY

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THE CONCEPT SPIRIT

Discover the Pathways program and find out how it can lead to a good university

The international dates we celebrate at Concept School

REFLECTIONS ON EARTH DAY Our students talk about the importance of this date

PREVIOUS EDITIONS Get involved in our community through Spotlight magazine.

STRENGTHENING OUR ROOTS Creating the foundation for lifelong learning

As an innovative school, Concept's mission is to spark curiosity and the sense of belonging to a community, as well as encourage our students to enjoy lifelong learning.

Thereby, developing citizens capable of contributing and reacting even to unstable scenarios, such as the one we experience today.

As is commonly known, providing a good foundation is essential to this goal. Making a brief analogy to the theme of 2021 and inspired by Shel Silverstein’s book: The Giving Tree, we believe that we are in a moment of strengthening our roots.

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L AI R O TI D E We want our roots to go deeper so the sap that nourishes and sustains all of our learning journeys can flow. We are attentive so that in each proposal, we can offer academic rigor, without losing our essence of teaching, where engagement and learning go hand in hand.

In this edition of SPOTLIGHT magazine, we want you to immerse yourself in this movement of strengthening our roots. Deepen your understanding of our Mathematics and Design Thinking programs. Get to know the role of intervention that an educator plays in Early Years Education. Understand why we celebrate certain international dates ... Each content of this publication is more interesting than the next.

Enjoy reading!

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REFLECTION Maria Eduarda Fernandes, Kindergarten educator at Escola Concept São Paulo "A question about a thief’s heart started a deep conversation in the Kinder B group. Faced with so many hypotheses that the students raised, my main role was to keep actively listening. Children have so much to say! How sensitive and powerful what they say is. When we do not offer ready-made answers, we allow students to make their own reflections and exchange with their peers. In the dialogues and proposals documented

LISTENING AND MEDIATION OF CONVERSATIONS IN EARLY YEARS Pedagogical documentation involves many procedural steps of registration, analysis, and proposals that precede and follow the excerpt published here.

Therefore, some children represent the whole group which participated in debates, discussions, and proposals that deepened the theme over a few weeks.

The way they express their thinking reveals the genuine theories and perceptions recorded by educators, who exercise active listening in small groups or collective opportunities.

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below, it is possible to access the learners' representations of real life.

Notice how the students' ideas connect, complement each other, eventually oppose each other, and always expand...

The examples published register the rich connections established by one of these small groups, all of which had their thoughts validated and recorded. The children's voices are valued as legitimate ways of expressing their thoughts, and have been authorized by those responsible for them to make their speeches visible to the community through this publication.

First day - The question popped up during circle time Amanda: Teacher Duda, how are thieves' hearts?

Teacher Duda: I don’t know. That’s a good question. What do you think?

Francisco: I think the thieves' hearts are very small.

Maria Isabel: Perhaps the bandits' hearts are made of stone.

Leonardo: We can call it a cold heart.

Teacher Duda: Do you think we are born with different kinds of hearts?

José: I think everyone is born equal and good, and then when they grow up, we think about whether it will be good or not.

Bianca: I think that is our choice. If we make good choices, we are good. If we choose to share toys with friends, we are good.

João Pedro: I think about my choices.

José: The bandits do evil, hurt, and do harm to people.

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Teacher Duda: How can we know if someone is good or not?

Ivan: Thieves wear black and white clothes.

Leonardo: They wear these clothes in prison.

Francisco: Bad people dress like good people.

José: We talk to people to find out if they are legal or not.

Bianca: We see how they act. My mom went to the poll, and they treated her so badly that she left there crying, they didn't do well, which is a bad thing.

José: The heart gives love to people.

Bianca: Is that why the heart is a beautiful word?

Amanda: Did you know that we think with our brains?

José: Have you ever eaten roasted chicken hearts? For us to eat the chicken heart, the chicken dies, and that is sad.

Second day - I brought some pictures of real hearts and offered some materials to see what learners would do. While cutting, painting, and pasting, this was the conversation I heard: Amanda: The heart carries blood to our body.

Leonardo: The heart spreads blood to our whole body, and when we die it also dies.

Amanda: When the heart dies, does the person also die?

Leonardo: Yes!

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Third day - During Circle Time, the learners listened, shared, connected, and extended their thinking about feelings.

Leonardo: I painted a side of happiness, and a side of evil in the heart.

José: Yeah, the bad guys have the evil side, and we have happiness.

Bianca: But I think we have feelings that are not good either.

Maria Isabel: Actually, we have a good side and a bad side.

Bianca: We have a good side and a bad side. We have to pay attention to the side and the words that we are going to use. Just like Mom taught me.

Maria Isabel: Words have power. My mom always says, and it's true.

Amanda: But, you know, when someone does something wrong, she can apologize.

Leonardo: I did research at my house, and we have 4 dolls: sadness, happiness, anger, and disgust. These dolls are the guardians of happiness, and of evil.

José: No! There are 5 dolls inside us: one doll that doesn't even care, and another that is very very very angry, a doll that is happy, and another that is very sad, which is sadness.

Sofia: I think the dolls are the feelings.

Bianca: It is missing the shame.

João Pedro: Anger is the one that releases fire.

Maria Isabel: There is fear too!

Bianca: So, I think people are both: good and bad, but it depends on which side we use.

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DESIGN THINKING CURIOSITY THAT MOVES US TO LEARN!

Lyna Malheiros, EdTech Reference Educator at Escola Concept São Paulo The human being is, and always has been, curious. It is curiosity that makes us question, imagine and create! And the place to cultivate curiosity, the search for knowledge, and to disseminate knowledge among the generations has long been the school.

It turns out that the school environment has also been the same for a long time. Chairs lined up, teacher at the front transmitting knowledge. But then, with the internet, a big revolution happened!

With the volume of information being easily and quickly disseminated, it was necessary to rethink and understand what the new roles the educator and the book would be, since they were no longer the main ones responsible for storing and offering information.

The school had to rediscover itself! On this journey, it found a world of possibilities, where collaboration is born.

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Today we co-create learning!

At Escola Concept, we engage students in learning journeys in which the content is connected to current issues. Through Project Based Learning, we seek to solve problems and challenges that the world presents to us, for which we still do not have all the answers. We apply, among other approaches, the Design Thinking, with the objective of organizing the journey of investigations, searching for possible answers and solutions.

Through Design Thinking, we research, we empathize with problems, we discover flaws and obstacles. We systematize to understand the complexity of situations. We cluster ideas to focus on specific goals. Then, we look at what has already been done, globally and locally. With this ammunition, we move to ideation, where we look for possible solution ideas. Next, we prepare to get our hands dirty and actually make the solution happen!

We have an amazing Maker Space where learners find all kinds of materials, tools and machines imaginable: from assembling and scrap kits, to robots, electronics kits, sewing machines, joinery instruments, 3D printers and laser cutters.

This maker space at Escola Concept is part of the FAB LAB Network, created in 2012 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT. Being a member of the FAB LAB Network means that our schools meet the equipment requirements to support a maker environment. In addition, it also means that we have been recognized for being an open space to share knowledge and work collaboratively with other educational or research communities around the world.

And this happens every time we call our community to participate in the weekly Innovation Wednesday workshops. Every time we exchange experiences with other schools and universities. Every time a project that our learners develop breaks the imaginary boundary of the school's walls and brings a solution to other people or communities.

It is us, school, community, educators, teachers, families, and learners acting directly in the world we live in. Through a living school that builds knowledge together with our life.

Curiosity is our great ally, and our journey continues with the support of those who understand the world of possibilities.

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Glossary Maker To speak the language of innovation, we teach and learn based on the following approaches and partnerships:

Project Based Learning (PBL): It is the approach that Escola Concept uses to present the content that is provided in the Brazilian curriculum (Base Nacional Comum Curricular) in a challenging and engaging way.

Through PBL, learners actively participate in the process of developing knowledge.

Design Thinking based on Stanford d.school: is a collective and collaborative approach to creative problem-solving. Composed of 5 stages ranging from understanding the challenge to prototyping and testing, Design Thinking brings a perspective of empathy with the people who will be the users of that product, service or solution. Born in a context of industries and creative agencies, the approach has been applied to education with enormous success to promote student engagement.

Apple Distinguished School: A recognition that our three Concept schools have received, joining a selective group of schools around the world. These centers of leadership and educational excellence make up a global network to exchange experiences. Another benefit is to have the team participating in professional development opportunities.

FabLab: Escola Concept is the only Elementary to High School that is part of this network that was founded at MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Being a member of the FAB LAB Network means meeting equipment requirements to support a maker environment. In addition, it also means being open to sharing knowledge and working collaboratively with other educational or research communities around the world.

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MATHEMATICS

“WHEN AM I GOING TO USE THIS?” SCOTT MCMULLAN - Associate Head of School at Escola Concept São Paulo

It is widely believed that the most common asked question in math class is “when am I going to use this?” Some learner’s may ask this to simply test the educator’s knowledge, while others are searching for relevance and have genuine interest in discovering how useful it will be in the future.

Regardless of why it is asked, this question is common in many classrooms around the world, but not here, at Escola Concept.

Why is it seldom heard in our learning spaces? We believe the reason is due to two important factors. The first being our pedagogical approach of Project Based Learning (PBL).

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By focusing on projects, the math content is introduced in a meaningful way, and learners can readily see the connections to life outside of school, while they are challenged to solve problems related to one of the Global Goals. For example, our 6th grade learners were studying angles in geometry class and their project was connected to Global Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. The learners were tasked with creating and planning a city from scratch, using a variety of angles (parallel, perpendicular, acute, etc.) while including at least 5 public essential service buildings.

The second factor is due to the importance of professional development for our educators.

The school invests both time and resources so that our educators may remain up to date in their practices and offer the best quality instruction possible. To back this up, our math educators undergo a special training with Mathematical Mindsets from the highly regarded Stanford Graduate School of Education. This course helps educators inspire their learners by building a growth mindset and boosting math achievement with practices that are grounded in neuroscientific research.

Never one to rest on its laurels, Escola Concept is always looking for ways to increase its academic rigor and we are very excited to announce that we have just begun a new partnership with an International Math Specialist. Phil Daro is from the United States and is highly regarded around the world in the field of mathematics.

He is the lead writer of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and was also a key member in reviewing Brazil’s National Curriculum (Base Nacional Comum Curricular). He will work closely with our math department team, from the 3 campuses, as they implement a new math program called Illustrative Mathematics, that prepares learners to solve problems, use logical reasoning, communicate with clarity, while thinking critically.

A top priority for our educators is to challenge all learners and help make connections within their learning so that they can perform at high levels and reach their potential. In the near future we will also share more information about an after school math program, so make sure you keep up to date with all of our communications.

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NEW ILLUSTRATIVE MATHEMATICS PROGRAM Escola Concept has partnered with Phil Daro, the lead writer of the US Common Core State Standards for Mathematics who was also a key member in reviewing Brazil’s National Curriculum (Base Nacional Comum Curricular).

He will work closely with our math department team, from the 3 campuses, to implement a new math program that prepares learners to solve problems, use logical reasoning, communicate with clarity, while thinking critically.

Read on for an interview with Phil Daro to understand more about the Illustrative Mathematics program.

What is the scope of your partnership with Escola Concept?

I am working with the mathematics leadership team who will, in turn, work with the faculties of the schools. We are working intensively with the curriculum to assure an effective implementation competitive with the best mathematics programs around the world. We aim to provide relevant mathematics to students with diverse aspirations. I am providing materials for the Escola Concept leadership team to use with faculty.

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The Escola Concept motto, when it opened 4 years ago was: “Learning the Meaning of Learning”.. How does this apply to Maths?

Mathematics is a powerful thinking language with representational tools used to solve problems that, without mathematics, would be too hard to think about. We will teach Escola Concept learners to think with mathematics when tackling real-world problems.

Why is it important to have learners trying to reach and answer before teaching a formula?

Mathematics has different kinds of ingredients. An excellent program will teach a healthy balance of these ingredients. To develop mathematical expertise and knowledge requires a balance of procedural skills like adding and multiplying, conceptual understanding, and the problem-solving expertise to apply mathematics in real situations. It is also a goal of the mathematics curriculum to develop students’ logical reasoning powers.

Balance: skills, concepts, and applications.

What is the role of practice and repetition in the process of mastering a mathematical issue?

Mathematics includes some knowledge and skills that are used and reused so often that one has to have the facts at hand without having to think about it.

These include: the single-digit addition and multiplication facts. Knowledge of these facts should become fluent.

Developing fluency can benefit from practice and repetition. Most mathematics is not like these simple facts.

Most mathematics is built around reasoning and thinking. We want students to acquire the language of mathematics which becomes algebra with its symbols and graphs. This acquisition develops from use, as with any language acquisition.

Using the language to achieve some purpose. We want students to have the character to tackle problems they haven’t rehearsed rather than quitting because they weren’t told how to solve them. They need lots of experience using mathematics to solve unrehearsed problems.

How does Maths connect to other fields of learning (e.g. Language, Music, Body & Movement, Science)?

Mathematics is used in some way in almost every field. In some fields, like the sciences, mathematics forms the very bones of knowledge. Indirectly, mathematical ways of thinking enhance a person’s ability to make sense of the world and simplify complex situations.

How does Maths connect to the development of social-emotional skills?

It is essential that we teach students that their work to learn maths pays off with them getting better at maths. The pedagogy and feedback from the pedagogic systems have to convince them that their work pays off in learning. Unfortunately, many teaching traditions in maths focus on assessing correctness rather than developing the students’ ability to achieve correctness. As a result, many people leave school with maths anxiety disorders. Escola Concept is committed to the mathematical health of its learners, including a sense of agency…can do…and belonging to a community of maths learners.

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WHAT HAVE I LEARNED FROM THE OLYMPIC MATH KANGAROO COMPETITION? In Salvador and Ribeirão Preto, learners participated in the Olympic Math Kangaroo competition, the largest mathematics competition in the world, with more than 80 countries and 6 million students participating per year, from Grade 3 to 12. Learn more about what the experience felt like for our learners, by reading the interview with Julia Santana, a Grade 10 High School learner from Escola Concept Salvador.

What strategies did you use to prepare?

After taking the test, I realized that much more preparation would have been necessary. To prepare myself, I asked some questions that were sent to Google Classroom and others that I found on the internet from previous years and, in addition, I watched videos on YouTube of people talking about their experiences with Kangaroo.

Why did you want to participate in the Olympic Math Kangaroo competition?

I found out about it in 2019, when I was still studying at my old school, but I couldn't participate that year. The one who inspired me to participate was Professor Jade. And I decided to participate because I like mathematics.

What do you like most about math?

At the moment, trigonometry.

How important is mathematics in your life and in the society in which we live?

Mathematics is fundamental in our life, because it induces logical thinking and quick reasoning in different moments of everyday life.

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BRAMUN

MINI-ONU

The Amazing Experience of Being a Diplomat for a Day

Between March 24th and 27th, thirteen learners from Escola Concept Salvador and Escola Concept São Paulo participated in the BRAMUN 2021 international conference.

The BRAMUN conference simulates meetings and debates from the United Nations (UN), in which students discuss current issues or important moments in international geopolitics. Learners from bilingual and international schools participate in it and the debates are held in English.

Each student represents a country and must study a lot about its economy in order to defend its interests well, be it Brazil, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Germany, or China. The debates take place in thematic committees, such as Human Rights, Cybersecurity, Economic and Social Council, among others.

The BRAMUN conference is an excellent opportunity for students to develop their speaking and persuasion skills, interact with different topics and cultures, in addition to competing for honorable mentions and awards, which strengthens the academic curriculum.

This year, the event took place virtually due to the global pandemic of Covid-19 and we spoke with some of our learners to learn more about their experience.

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Pietro França, Grade 8 Escola Concept Salvador

Preparing for BRAMUN was crucial for developing skills such as communication, improving my English and ultimately learning about the importance of diplomacy in resolving global conflicts. In order to challenge my persuasive and communication skills, I chose to sign up for BRAMUN. I am grateful to the educator Ian Cavalcante who helped us research and build the positioning of the countries we represented. Participating in BRAMUN was great!

Aloysio Nery, Grade 9

Escola Concept Salvador I signed up to attend the conference because I wanted to learn more about political and social problems while also developing more as a human being. I believe that being prepared for an international event is essential. That way you end up developing some important aspects for your future. At BRAMUN you develop speaking skills and general knowledge itself.

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Enzo França, Grade 9

Escola Concept Salvador Participation in BRAMUN is another way to stimulate new paths of study and research. It was very helpful in building my knowledge and opening up new horizons and new opportunities. It also helped me structure my resume, increasing the chances of me being accepted to a major university. I recommend that everyone participates in this event because it will certainly add a lot to their lives.

Fernando França, Grade 10 Escola Concept Salvador

One of the most relevant takeaways from the debates was the use of diplomacy between countries to reach a consensus. I strongly recommend it to students who see that the world still has hope. I also recommend it for those who are interested in developing their diplomatic side.

During the preparation, I was able to dive deeper into the origins of the country I was representing, understanding its position and its culture. To make this possible, weekly virtual meetings were promoted by our school, to promote discussions about how we, as countries, could act and build our policy statements. Being active in BRAMUN's event offered me the possibility to improve my resume, increasing the chances of being accepted at a major university abroad. I also met students with similar interests and established bonds that may allow me future opportunities.

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THE BOY'S WOUND HURT AS THE MULTITUDE OF RAINDROPS HIT HIS SKIN. LOST IN THE FOREST WITH NOWHERE TO GO HE CRIED, AND LAUGHED AS HE THOUGHT: 'THIS WILL LEAVE A SCAR'.

MAX MATTOS, GRADE 10 Escola Concept Salvador Inspired by the book "Lord of the Flies", by William Golding

PATHWAYS

Pathways: a Stanford University Program In the following interview, the counselor PATRÍCIA BUSICO, from Escola Concept São Paulo, explains about the Pathways program, which involves social service and selfknowledge proposals, with the objective of opening paths for a more mature professional choice during High School.

What is the Pathways program?

It is a program that follows the curriculum from Project Wayfinder, a proposal that was born at the Stanford d.school to help learners develop a sense of meaning and purpose. With weekly meetings in Grades 6 to 9, the Pathways Program is designed so that learners can get to know themselves better, understand what they like to do and how they can give meaning to their lives, while they realize the potential of their actions in the world.

What kind of proposals does Pathways include?

In our meetings, I bring reports, videos, and interviews. I propose to learners that they research and discuss the subjects so they can share their feelings and desires. I use a lot of games and other initiatives to break the ice and favor exchanges. We encourage learners to get involved in community service for at least 30 hours a year.

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It was the way we found to work on empathy in practice, bringing awareness to the possibility that we all can transform the environment,if we look at it from a more empathic perspective.

This way, we can reflect on our own attitudes. We talk a lot about donating time and talent, as an alternative to donating money or material goods.

Does Pathways already address the issue of professional choice?

Certainly, but with the idea of broadening horizons and showing different opportunities. We show learners that they can choose to study in Brazil or abroad, research among a multitude of courses, bring examples of people that are dedicated to research: executives, philanthropic organizations, Youtubers… There are so many options in life and research shows that many of the students will end up working in a profession that doesn't even exist yet!

Last week, you invited a student who was admitted to a university in China...

Yes, these opportunities are essential to inspire students and show that the opportunities are broader! They loved the chat with Ariel, who is packing his bags to study at the University of Hong Kong, in China, with a full scholarship. Last year, we had other very interesting conversations with Brazilians who are today in Yale, at New York University and with the founder of the NGO Exchange do Bem, who spoke about his trips to do community work. The next talks already underway will bring representatives from the Canadian and United States consulates. I also want to bring a guest to talk about the possibilities within Brazil.

How will this program continue in High School?

It changes its name to University Counseling, and includes individual personalized tutoring. Together with learners, we will explore universities, their rankings while researching to find the best match for each learner.

What is an AP Course?

AP stands for Advanced Placement, which is a world renowned program created by the College Board that offers a college-level curriculum, with exams, aimed at high school students.

Last year, Escola Concept was accredited to offer AP courses and apply AP exams, which will open doors for our learners to the best universities abroad. There is also the possibility for learners to earn university credits from the courses they took while studying at Escola Concept.

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EVENTS THAT MARK THE JOURNEY AT CONCEPT Do you know how learning comes to life every single day at Escola Concept? By celebrating it! Whether preparing a post or a poster to put on the wall, or through an event that involves the whole school, our community has the chance to participate in every step of their child's learning journey.

We challenge our learners to show their day-to-day discoveries and create connections between content and life, nurturing a mindset that is inventive and solution-oriented. Those events are organized throughout the year highlighting specific dates that represent the Concept Spirit.

Our Academic Calendar consists of dates of the main educational events, such as Student-Led Conferences and Festival of Learning, as well as other important celebrations related to our four academic pillars: Sustainability, Collaboration, Entrepreneurship, and Digital Fluency.

But it also includes the dates that are currently recognized by the international calendars of the United Nations, UNESCO, UNICEF, and FAO. For several years now, they have celebrated specific milestones in order to promote actions of global impact, and we want to bring awareness to them amongst our learners, making them believe in the impact they can cause.

Check below the main Global Events being celebrated at Escola Concept in 2021.

Download the 2021 full calendar here São Paulo

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Ribeirão Preto

Salvador

April 08 19 21 22 23 28

Feedback on Progress Indigenous Day World Creativity And Innovation Day Earth Day World Book Day Parent Educational Learning Community

MAY 07 Report Card 10-14 Digital Fluency Week 10-15 Student-Led Conference 21 World Day for Cultural Diversity 26 Parent Educational Learning Community

june 05 World Environment Day 7-12 Festival of Learning Week 16 Parent Educational Learning Community 16 Feedback on Progress in Salvador 18 Festa Junina Salvador 18 Sustainable Gastronomy Day 20 21 23 25 28

World Refugee Day First day of vacation in Salvador Feedback on Progress in São Paulo and Ribeirão Preto Festa Junina in São Paulo and Ribeirão Preto First day of vacation in São Paulo and Ribeirão Preto

july 05 International Day of Charity 08 International Literacy Day 13 Back to school Salvador spotlight - april 2021 | 27

August 01 Back to school São Paulo and Ribeirão Preto 11 Student's Day 25 Parent Educational Learning Community

September 17 Report Card 20-25 Student-Led Conference 21 International Day Of Peace 29 Parent Educational Learning Community

October 15 16 27 29

Educators Day World Food Day Parent Educational Learning Community Book Character Day

November 10 World Science Day for Peace and Development 11 Feedback on Progress 13 World Kindness Day 24 Parent Educational Learning Community 29-30 Festival of Learning Week

December 01-04 Festival of Learning Week 10 Last day of school 15 Report Card

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WHY CELEBRATE EARTH DAY?

Learners Letícia Marchini and Samuel Diniz, from Escola Concept Ribeirão Preto, explain the relevance of this day that will be celebrated in April.

Do you know when Earth Day is and why it exists?

April 22 is Earth Day. The date represents the struggle in defense of the environment, promoting reflection about the planet's importance and also about how important it is to develop environmental awareness. Beyond that, it is a date that promotes a reflection on our actions that are harming the environment. On Earth Day, people often use natural elements and objects and also promote actions that help the environment, such as recycling, planting and saving energy.

Letícia Oliveira Marchini - Grade 6 Concept Ribeirão Preto

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Earth Day, a reminder to take care of our home Before I start to tell you what Earth Day means, let's go back in time a little bit and find out how it came about. The date was created after an environmental protest that happened in 1970. This event occurred on April 22, in 1970 in Washington, New York and Portland. From that date onwards, we began celebrating Earth Day. With the help of several educational communities, bringing together about 20 million people, activists created a great movement, promoting marches and speeches that warned the world about environmental issues, some of the topics in the agenda were pollution, environment destruction, deforestation, the greenhouse effect, among others.

This protest was also intended to put pressure on the government, so they could achieve one of its objectives. After some time, environmental protection agencies created a body that would be responsible for environmental matters. This was a super important milestone, since a while later, the protests managed to get the attention of the United Nations (UN).

Now, that we know where it came from, let's understand what Earth Day represents. The date can be considered a warning or a reminder that our world is not yet in its best version. We still have a lot of pollution and animals becoming extinct because of humans. So, this day can make many people open their eyes to rethink how they are living.

Earth Day has existed for years and yet we have still not been able to make the Earth steady. The planet Earth is our home and we should be more careful with it, because without it, we have nowhere to live. So, let's try to save the land while we still can.

I hope that with this text you will be able to open your eyes or better understand the meaning of this day.

Samuel Segantini Diniz - Grade 7 Concept Ribeirão Preto

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