INTERACT
August - September 2013 Issue 1
NEW SYNTHETIC GRASS SOCCER FIELD SAFETY FLOORING FOR PREPRIMARY PLAYGROUND
SECOND FLOOR ELEMENTARY EXPANSION
SCHOOL WATER DRAINAGE PIPE REPAIR
ART BUILDING ADDITION UNDER CONSTRUCTION
What an exciting, wonderful beginning to a new school year! Interamericano has used the slogan, “Going from Good to Great” for the last few years and we are doing everything in our power to make this happen. This summer we had not one, not two, but FIVE large construction projects going on at the same time. All of these projects will better enable us to live up to our slogan. We are continuing to hire excellent, professional, and qualified teachers to improve our academic standing, but our classroom space was getting a bit “tight.” This was why the Foundation and Board authorized us to add ten new classrooms to Elementary, three additional classrooms to High School, and three additional art and music rooms that will be shared by Middle School and the High School. In addition to these huge projects, we had to completely replace the old water drainage system throughout the school. This was a major undertaking and required us to dig trenches completely around the soccer field, down the main hallway of the school, across the area between Middle School and the covered court, and finally to the covered court to attach the large 3 meter pipes to the city system outside of our back gates. Again, this was a very big project, but one that desperately needed to be done. Finally, the challenge everyone is excited about: we tore up the grass on the soccer field. Graded and leveled the surface. Covered it with 12 inches of gravel, and are now in the process of putting down the best artificial grass surface that we could find. When finished, this will be a soccer field of which everyone can be proud. To improve, we must keep moving forward. That is what we at Interamericano are doing: moving forward, changing, evolving, and continually searching for ways to enrich your children’s lives and transport this wonderful school from Good to Great.
CARL WIEBURG GENERAL DIRECTOR
In this issue
OUR NEW PRINCIPALS
ADVANCED SACS/ SCHOOL ACCREDITATION VISIT PAGE 8
PAGE 6
STAFF DEVELOPMENT WEEK
PAGE 9
SINGAPORE A SPOT LIGHT ON LITERACY
MATH YEAR PAGE 12
TWO
FAQ ON GOOGLE STUDENT ACCOUNTS
PAGE 14
PAGE 13
THE NEW LMC
PAGE 10
VARSITY BASKETBALL AT ITS BEST
ECA STARTED WITH A HUGE FAIR
PAGE 16
PAGE 18
RENWEB AT INTERAMERICANO
PAGE 17
GRIZZLIES POISED AND READY TO STRIKE
PAGE 19
SAYING HI ON BEHALF OF OPAI
PAGE 20
NEW FACES AT INTERAMERICANO Editors in Chief Wallace Ting Deputy Director of Academics wallace.ting@interamericano.edu.gt
José Fuentes
Public Relations and Communications Coordinator jose.fuentes@interamericano.edu.gt
On the cover: Dieter, Paulina, Tamara, and Juan Fernando, our Grade 12 Student Council Representatives.
PAGE 22
COLEGIO INTERAMERICANO Boulevard La Montaña, Finca El Socorro, Zona 16 Guatemala City, 01016 Guatemala, Central América PBX +502 2200-2990
Our new Principals GREG BELLEMARE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL
than 35 years in educaWtion,ithMr.moreBellemare arrives to Colegio
Interamericano with our highest regards and expectations. He originally started as a Physical Education teacher and sports coach in his home state of Maine. From here he was promoted to Assistant Principal/ Athletic Director and then Principal. During this time he coached for more than 10 years, won several championships, and was named Maine’s coach of the year in 1982. As a Principal, Mr. Bellemare worked on several initiatives to improve the academic rigor of his schools. At Piscataquis Community Middle School, where Mr. Bellemare served as the Principal for 11 years, he helped implement an Apple Laptop School program, the first of its kind at the time. He took on the program relentlessly and eventually helped the state of Maine receive endowments to facilitate computes for students.
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In 2007, Greg and his wife Phyllis made the decision to move to Arizona. “We had visited Arizona a few times and loved the climate and the outdoor activities (golf, biking),” says Mr. Bellemare. In Arizona, Mr. Bellemare continued his commitment to academic excellence by guiding his school to earn the distinction of “Excelling School,” the highest award that a school in Arizona can achieve and a feat that had
never been realized in the school’s history. Mr. Bellemare and his wife came to Colegio Interamericano through a rigorous interview process that saw him clearly distinguish himself from the other candidates. “His experience, calm demeanor, and record of academic success in his previous schoolsmadehimstandoutfromthe others,” says Mr. Ting, who led the Elementary Principal hiring committee. The interest was mutual. “I really liked the school’s philosophy of dedication, the new constructions and soccer field, and how the school was investing heavily in technology,” says Mr. Bellemare. “I was familiar with the math and language curriculum and believed that the school had made wise academic decisions.” With the dual challenge of adapting to a new staff, culture, and country, the transition to Guatemala has not always been smooth, but Mr. Bellemare remains upbeat. “We have a great team and improvements are happening, although it might take some time to see it. But I’m sure if everyone keeps collaborating and working together, we’ll see progress in no time.”
BY JOSE FUENTES
VICTOR RAMIREZ MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL m
r. Ramirez starts the 2013-14 school year as our new Middle School Principal, but is no stranger to Interamericano. After graduating from Ripon College with a degree in English Language and Literature, he started at Interamericano as a Middle School teacher in 2000. The choice to come to Interamericano, according to Mr. Ramirez, was obvious. “When I met the general director at the time, Dr. Webb, he talked a lot about the sense of community at Interamericano and the beauty of Guatemala, which sold me on the school immediately,” says Mr. Ramirez. In 2003, Mr. Ramirez earned his Master’s in International and Comparative Education from Framingham State College and subsequently spent time traveling internationally. In Germany, he met his future wife, Katrin, while learning the local language and working on creating an effective Spanish language curriculum for German schools. In 2008, Mr. Ramirez returned to Colegio Interamericano to work as the High School Vice Principal. “I felt a desire to come home and make
a natural transition to a place I know and love, where I could do bigger and better things for our students,” says Mr. Ramirez about his decision to return to Inter. After many successful years as a teacher and Vice Principal, Mr. Ramirez finally received his opportunity to lead a school with his appointment as Middle School Director in July 2013, and he isn’t stopping to rest on his laurels now. “The biggest challenge that we face in the Middle School is bringing the kids into the 21st century with technology and raising the academic bar,” he says. To this end, the Middle School has already adopted several creative programs including Singapore Math in grades 6 and 7, a BYOT (bring your own technology) policy in grades 6 – 8, and a Middle School Study Skills, Values, and Support Program department. “I’m really happy to be part of the community,” says Mr. Ramirez, “and my interest is to keep serving the community. I feel identified with the school and this is what keeps me going every day.”
ADVANCED SACS/ sCHOOL aCCREDITATION VISIT rom September 22-26, Colegio InterFamericano will welcome a team to Gua-
BY WALLACE TING
temala from AdvancED/SACS as part of our reaccreditation process. AdvancED/ SACS accreditation is an important facet of our identify as an American school, as this allows Interamericano students to graduate with a diploma that is recognized in the United States and around the world. Preparation for the accreditation process started in earnest nearly one year ago. Committees consisting of administrators, teachers, parents, and students were formed in order to conduct a self-evaluation and formulate a school improvement plan. These committees explored the five key standards developed by the AdvancED/SACS team (Purpose and Direction, Governance and Leadership, Teaching and Assessing for Learning, Resources and Support Systems, Using Results for Continuous Improvement). Although several staff members have had previous experience with the accreditation process, every new accreditation visit demands a great deal of time and effort to prepare.
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The early dismissal days that we have had this year have been critical to our accreditation preparation, as committees have spent this time revising and refining our self-assessment scores as well preparing documentation for the external review team. Everyone’s flexibility and understanding of the modified schedule on these days is greatly appreciated. We look forward to a successful visit and hope to receive valuable feedback from the external review team in order to supplement our continuous improvement efforts as an institution.
ACCREDITATION STANDARDS STANDARD 1: PURPOSE AND DIRECTION
STANDARD 4: RESOURCES AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS
The school maintains and communicates a purpose and direction that commit to high expectations for learning as well as shared values and beliefs about teaching and learning.
The school has resources and provides services that support its purpose and direction to ensure success for all students.
STANDARD 2: GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP
STANDARD 5: USING RESULTS OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
The school operates under governance and The school implements a comprehensive assessment system that generates a range leadership that promote and support student performance and school effectiveness. of data about student learning and school effectiveness and uses the results to guide continuous improvement. STANDARD 3: TEACHING AND
ASSESSING Learning the school’s curriculum, instruc tional design, and assessment practices guide and ensure teacher effectiveness and student learning.
Staff Development week do new teachers learn about InteramericaHnoowpolicies, veteran teachers gain new teaching strategies, and staff members get trained on new school programs and initiatives? The answer? Staff Development Week, two weeks of focused and intensive teacher workshops, seminars, and meetings to prepare for the school year. Workshops and conferences were given on a wide array of topics, determined through needs assessments and collaboration among school leaders. Sessions were led by both internal and external experts. Key training sessions included Singapore Math and Literacy by Design, which were led by in-house experts Wallace Ting and Carol Claypool and further supplemented in additional sessions by outside experts Lorena Castellanos and Monika Furhan. Local teachers received extensive training in
BY VICTORIA PIRA
Guatemalan history, as we received a conference speaker from the textbook company to give a workshop on teaching national history as an introduction to social sciences in Estudios Sociales. There were also important updates on the AdvancED/SACS reaccreditation process, the new Library Media Center, AASCA (which the school will soon be hosting in February 2013), Renweb (our new grading program), and more. No Staff Development Week is complete, however, without a bit of time for fun and teambuilding. Our ECA and Athletic Coordinators, Katrin and Allan, came up with some great icebreaking and teambuilding activities to start the week off on a positive note. We are looking forward to a wonderful 2013-14 school year and are confident that the results of our staff development efforts will lead to more effective student learning and greater school unity.
IN THE PICS Top: Team building activities are an integral part of Staff Development Week Middle right: Gabriela Ixcoy, High School Algebra teacher, as drawn by her peers during a collaborative icebreaker. Bottom: Some of the activies required group creativity, like the one pictured below.
The
New LMC 10
BY LUIS MASAYA
IN THE PICS FIRST PAGE Top left: Our new collaborative study rooms in use by Middle School Students.
WInteramericano e would like to welcome you to the new Library Media Center (LMC). Our role has evolved from being a traditional library into a completely integrated media center, a trend that has been felt worldwide. The library encourages and supports students’ interests in literature, research and general reading but we are also building a solid foundation to meet the school’s technological needs and support the necessary skills to face the 21st century. The LMC owns a print book collection consisting on more than 23,000 titles, periodicals, print magazines, newspapers and journals. We are about to launch an e-magazine subscription platform with more than 17 monthly titles that will be available on all of the school iPads and library computers. A few physical changes have also taken place in our library this school year. On the second floor, we’ve set up three collaborative study rooms with LCD TVs and
have reorganized the layout to include more computers, printers, screens, projectors, iPads, wireless internet access and comfortable reading places, to work or do research. We also have pushed forward our reading corner, as it now outfitted with technology resources that are constantly integrated during the students’ reading classes. A new professional library for teachers will soon be set up on the first floor where a selection of teaching books for teachers will be available. The LMC staff is committed to collaborating with all members of the school community in order to provide a greater customer service and variety of educational resources. We will continue working to make sure our ever-growing alumni have all the necessary tools to learn, research, and support the curriculum of our classes and to have enough opportunities to use technology to provide the Interamericano community with the didactical tools they need.
Top right: Mr. Tom works with students during ECA on our comfortable second floor couches. Middle left: High School students utilize the new computers available on the second floor. Middle Right: Cozy beanbags allow kids a place to read quietly in the library. Bottom: Students work on group activities during High School Study Hall. SECOND PAGE Top: The new LMC Outdoor Reading Corner is a perfect spot to grab a book and read to your heart’s delight.
A SPOT LIGHT ON LITERACY olegio Interamericano is proud to anCnounce our new language arts curriculum,
BY CAROL CLAYPOOL
As you may know, good assessments drive instruction. Therefore, your child’s teacher has been providing the student with an individualized, multi-faceted benchmark assessment. This data will then be used to determine your child’s specific literacy strengths and needs so as to meet them at their instructional level. Please take a minute to log on to ThinkCentral (you can receive login information from your child’s homeroom teacher if you do not have it) and investigate all the wonderful learning tools being utilized in your child’s classroom.
Literacy by Design. This platform is a research based, balanced literacy program published by Hougthon Mifflin Harcourt and serves our children from grades Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. It includes daily differentiated instruction for whole groups, small groups, interactive pairings and individual work. Students stay challenged through a gradual release of responsibility from the teacher, who guides them through important skills and strategies while building layers of knowledge and abilities at just the right time. As children practice and apply their new In each newsletter, we will have a new arliteracy skills, their confidence increases and ticle to share great strategies to increase theybecomeindependentreadersandwriters. your child’s motivation and interest in literacy. Also, be sure to mark your calendars The program is broken up into 16 themes for LBD workshops being hosted just for you throughout the year with each theme at Colegio Intermericano. These dates will lasting 2 weeks. Each theme integrates be posted on the website’s School Calendar. social studies or science, incorporates reading, writing, listening, speaking, spelling, phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension skills.
IN THE PICS Top right: Carol Claypool, our new Literacy Coach, leads teachers in a training session on the new LBD curriculum. Bottom right: Ms. Silvia leads a LBD balanced literacy class with her Grade 1 students. Bottom left:The program includes several tablet friendly games, where sounds, sights and the imagination can help kids better love and appreciate literature in years to come.
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SINGAPORE MATH YEAR TWO BY WALLACE TING ast year, the Elementary School adopted a new math Lcurriculum in Kindergarten – Grade 5: Singapore Math. For such an ambitious undertaking, we had a very successful year as students learned about the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract method, number bonds, bar models, and more. This year, we have expanded the Singapore Math program to include grades 6 and 7. All new teachers participated in an intensive Singapore Math workshop at the beginning of the year, and we had two more comprehensive workshops for all teachers (new and returning). In these trainings we focused on expanding our Singapore Math techniques, more meaningful technology integration, and analysis of student data to guide instruction.This year, we are making a big push with individual student Thinkcentral accounts and math portfolios. With individual student Thinkcen-
tral accounts, teachers will be able to assign online assessments and learning activities to enhance student learning. Math portfolios with student assessment data will help teachers analyze student progress and further individualize their instruction. Regular meetings with teachers have been scheduled this year to discuss their student progress and share ideas. We are excited to see the additional progress with this program in its second year of implementation, and hope that we will be able to see you at an Escuela para Padres Singapore Math workshop on September 6 (8:30 AM) or 9 (5:30 PM).
You may sign up for these workshops by emailing your interest to csalvatierra@interamericano.edu.gt or by calling 2200-2990 ext. 135 up to two weeks in advance.
TEST YOUR SKILLS AND SEE IF YOU CAN SOLVE THIS PROBLEM WITH A BAR MODEL! JOSE HAD 90 PENCILS AND PENS. AFTER GIVING AWAY 1/3 OF HIS PENCILS AND 10 PENS, HE HAD AN EQUAL NUMBER OF PENCILS AND PENS LEFT. HOW MANY PENCILS DID HE HAVE IN THE BEGINNING? SINCE EACH PART IS 16 AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PENCILS HE HAD IS 3 PARTS, HE HAD A TOTAL OF 48 PENCILS IN THE BEGINNING. THE NUMBER OF TOTAL PENCILS JOSE HAD CORRESPONDS TO 3 PARTS. SINCE 5 EQUAL PARTS ARE 80, EACH PART IS 80/5 = 16. SOLUTION:
Frequently Asked Questions about... STUDENT ACCOUNTS
BY JOSE FUENTES Being a part of the Interamericano community means keeping a constantly curious mind about new school initiatives. To this end, we will tackle a key subject in F.A.Q. format in each newsletter to better understand our most ambitious and sometimes complex endeavors. For our first newsletter, we sat down with Victor Ramirez, our newly appointed Middle School principal, to discuss his department’s innovating technology project: Google Student Accounts. Q: WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM? A: There was a real need. We have to take tools with a foreseeable future and use them today. We’ve seen a great capacity and interest in students in using the technology that is available to them. Our goal, then, became directing this interest and making it into an experience that is both educational and productive. Global tendencies such as these cannot and should not be ignored; it now turns to us to instruct our students in using technology effectively in their everyday lives, in and outside of school.
Q: HOW WILL THE PROGRAM BE TAUGHT INSIDE THE ALREADY DEMANDING ACADEMIC SCHEDULE?
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A: For this, technology class will be our corner stone. Students will have close to 90 minutes of weekly training in a wide array of technological tools they will use at this school, including the highly versatile Google Accounts. For example, if a student wants to be up-to-date with his or her homework, through this program they’ll be able to use and access an online calendar and agenda, which will not only send dynamic reminders but can also be accessed on any operating system: PC, Apple, Android, iOS, and Linux. Students are then being encouraged to use the technology in their daily workload. Teachers stimulate exploration and constant use of these tools, helping alumni be more productive, creative and collaborative on their projects.
Q: WHAT BENEFITS ARE SOUGHT OUT BY USING GOOGLE STUDENT ACCOUNTS? A: We believe our alumni can be agents of positive progress in the school’s digital culture. By introducing Google Tools, we hope more opportunities will arise when students can outstand and improve the school’s technological level. We aim for our alumni to be the best advocates for the advantages of our efforts.
Q: HOW DO GOOGLE STUDENT ACCOUNTS ENHANCE A STUDENT’S PREPARATION FOR THE TECHNOLOGICALLY DRIVEN WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY? A: In a few short weeks both parents and students will notice a significant change in their academic output. This is mostly due to Google Tools’ intuitive versatility. Likewise, the opportunity to use technology to achieve specific and well-established goals will allow for an easier incorporation into new digital cultures, as well as incenting more productive, creative and collaborative school projects.
Q: HAVE YOU A MESSAGE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS, WHO WILL SOON HAVE SONS AND DAUGHTERS INVOLVED IN THE GOOGLE STUDENT ACCOUNTS PROGRAM? A: We ask parents to stimulate the effective use of this technology by speaking to their children about proper and ethical technology use. For our part, we’ll strive to prepare our young men and women to take the most advantage of the digital tools at their disposal, be it Google Tools or any other upcoming trend. Inter’s vision with this program is to orient students to know how to use digital tools for the common good of society and to the benefit of human values.
IN THE PICS Top left: Students log on to their school Google accounts in technology class (username@interalumnos.net). Top right: Students learn important typing skills in order to work more efficiently on school projects.
Middle right: Gerald Schaeffer, our new MS technology teacher, helps students with their Google accounts. Bottom right: Students work with their Google accounts on school projects, which requires teacher collaboration across disciplines and an integrated curriculum.
TEAM PREVIEW
T
VARSITY BASKETBALL
AT ITS BEST basketball season kicked off early this Tyearhe 2013-14 with practices and games before the school year even began. I haven麓t seen this kind of commitment in our team for years and it is already paying off. The varsity basketball team has 14 members and all 14 played valuable minutes in our 26 point victory versus Colegio Decroly, the first of what will hopefully be many victories this season. The AASCA tournament is in the middle of October, so that leaves us with only 2 months to prepare. The best placing that Inter has ever had at AASCA is 6th, so every practice, game, and contribution from our 14 team members is critical.
BY TOM HAMILTON
Teams from six countries compete viciously for the title, some with players from the United States that have been playing competitive basketball for years, but I am confident that Inter can rise to the challenge this year. The varsity basketball team is currently training 5 days a week. On holidays we have special 3 to 4 hour practices. Our team this year is filled with several veterans that know what it takes to win, along with a few new faces that have brought new energy and excitement to the group. Our focus is always on our next game, our next challenge and our next opponent, and we look forward to an exciting and competitive 2013-14 campaign.
IN THE PICS Top right: The girls team took on Colegio Decroly in a hard-fought victory. Bottom left: Coach Willy huddles with the girls to discuss strategy. Bottom right: A first match against Selecci贸n Guatemala de Cadetes proved a worthy test-run for AASCA.
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RENWEB AT INTERAMERICANO 2013-14 school year, Colegio Interamericano Fhasor theimplemented a new grading program to replace our grading and student data software suite. Leading the change is Harvey Cohen, our High School Director. “We used to have three systems and three separate programs that needed to be updated individually each time we needed to do something simple like grading or getting a schedule going,” says Mr. Cohen. “This new program helps with that.” While Renweb is currently being used for student grades and attendance, it offers a host of additional features that the school hopes to implement soon, such as transcripts, messaging, online lesson plans, online inscription, and more. One immediate benefit is that parents will be able to see their students’ academic progress in
BY JOSE FUENTES real-time, eliminating the need to wait until teachers upload the latest grades to the system. “It’s fast, simple, and highly effective,” says Mr. Cohen. “Progress Reports in Middle and High School will eventually become redundant, since students and parents can keep a daily update on grades.” As the initial implementation phase of this program has completed, the reins of this project will now be turned over to the school’s technology department, who are quickly learning the ins and outs of the system to provide greater training, support, and service to teachers, students, and parents. We ask Interamericano parents to be patient and flexible, as with any new program there is a learning curve before getting the full advantages of the new integrated system.
IN THE PICS Top and middle right: Parents can access Renweb via their smartphone on both Android and iOS to keep up to date with their children’s academic progress at any time. Bottom left: Renweb’s easy to access online portal allows teachers to have complete control over grades, attendance, and online assignments.
ECA INSCRIPTIONS STARTED WITH
A HUGE FAIR he extracurricular program at Colegio InteramerTicano offers more clubs this school year than ever before! Exactly one hundred and seventeen clubs are available to our student population. The range of clubs includes athletic teams such as basketball, volleyball and soccer, as well as other sports such as badminton, table tennis, ultimate Frisbee and baseball. On August 13, we held our annual Extracurricular Activities (ECA) Fair to allow students and students to get to know our wide array of recreational programs and the wonderful people behind them. If you were interested in learning another foreign language, you could have signed up for German, Mandarin or French. Do you play an instrument? Violin, Cello, Piano, Marimba, flute and Guitar are included in our music program. If all of that didn´t catch your attention, you were able to sign up for one of the many different arts and crafts clubs. New in the program is our media club in Elementary and Middle School, where students will be producing a school newspaper and learn how to research a topic, write about it, proofread it and design a layout for it. Other innovative programs included various dance clubs, where Middle School and High School students are invited to experience Jazz/Funk in our completely new and unique dance group. For those who like to work their brains, even after regular school hours, we have several science clubs and a chess club to keep your mind at the top of its game.
BY KATRIN HUENEMOERDER The ECA program started on Monday, September 2, with the exception of all Wednesday clubs. Since all students have early dismissal on Wednesdays until September 18 due to the preparation for the SACS visit, all Wednesday clubs only start on September 25th. Even though our school offers an enormous amount of extracurricular activities, some clubs are always more popular than others or participation needs to be limited due to material or space restrictions. That´s why waiting lists were opened for the most popular clubs. In order to assure the quality of each club, every ECA student will have to sign an ECA manual in the beginning of the year, promising to take the ECA club serious and respecting all the rules of the club. Students and parents also have to commit to inform the ECA teacher in case a student is absent and cannot participate in the club. In case a student is absent three times without informing the teacher, the spot will be given to a student who is on the waiting list. Although ECA is a place for everyone to have fun and enjoy new activities, it is also a space to learn something new in a team. Everyone’s collaboration and flexibility is requested in order to make ECA this year a successful experience for everyone. The results will be seen during our numerous events this year, be it our sports tournaments, a dance festival, the arts & music festival or during this year’s soccer highlight – the AASCA tournament.
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IN THE PICS Top right: Parents were able to meet ECA coaches and learn more about their programs. Middle right: Kids got a “hands-on experience” of ECA offerings. Bottom left: Coaches show off some of their work and talk with visitors. Bottom right: Hundreds of parents stopped by, making this one of the most anticipated ECA seasons ever!
Grizzlies, poised and
ready to
strike! BY ALLAN SECAIDA
e start this year by looking forward with great Wanticipation to one of our most demanding sports seasons ever. Basketball students are already making headway, training rigorously for La Copa Bi-cultural and La Copa Olímpica del Colegio Internacional, two trials that will help us be in tip-top condition for our biggest challenge this year: AASCA 2013. This tournament will take place from October 23 to 27 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, so look forward to regular updates on our website regarding the team’s progress. Male and female volleyball teams are also preparing themselves early, but for different ends altogether. This year’s Bi-Cultural tournament requires our school to defend the first place trophy we won last year. To defend our title, the school saw fit to hire a coach that was up to the challenge. Alvinzi Pelaez, current trainer to Guatemala’s national volleyball selection, will now lead our students in making their mark in one of the most competitive sports in Central America and the Caribbean. We send a warmest welcome to Profesor Alvinzi! Some of our proudest accomplishments will soon come from our soccer efforts. First, our highly anticipated soccer field will make us the only
school in Guatemala with artificial turf grass, designed specifically for Futbol 11. Second, from February 19 – 23, Interamericano have the honor of hosting AASCA SOCCER 2014, an encounter that will bring together more than ten American Schools from all over the region. This tournament will require that our to be in the best physical and mental tion, a task that our highly qualified department is more than willing to
teams condisports tackle.
Another discipline that will soon be making its place in our alumni is Baseball. The all-American sport will be a welcomed addition to the already diverse and successful extracurricular activities (ECA) program. We look forward to students both participating and supporting our new team in up-coming tournaments. Sports started along with the rest of ECA clubs on Monday, September 2. We hope that our students get pumped with all our school’s disciplines (Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Badminton, Cheerleaders, and Gymnastics) and, above all, having a great time while they’re at it. GO GRIZZLIES!
IN THE PICS Top right: Cheerleaders practice year-round, keeping our school spirit constanly high. Bottom left: Mañanas Deportivas are a great motivation for kids to try out new sports and compete in tough matches against neighboring schools. Bottom middle: Our soccer team will soon start training for AASCA, which will be hosted at Interamericano in February 2014. Bottom right: Interamericano’s Female Basketball team has long been preparing for this year’s AASCA tournament.
SAYING HI ON BEHALF OF
of Organización de Padres de Alumnos Odeln behalf Colegio Interamericano (OPAI), we wish to welcome you to a brand new and exciting school year. OPAI’s mission is to promote the integration of the Colegio Interamericano community while keeping a personalized approach to students, teachers and family members through innovating activities that will be interesting to all. OPAI is committed to community service. We are indebted with each and every mom and dad that volunteers our Padres de Grado and Padres de Sección program. Their enthusiasm and constant interest in actively participating will make the 2013-14 school year an enormous success.
BY CLAUDIA RODRIGUEZ
Our OPAI Board Members and Volunteer Parents recently started-up activities again, coordinating the first “Tiendita” for 2013, on August 29th.
This year, new and healthy food options have been included in our menu to help keep our kids vigorous and focused. The next big activity on our schedule is the traditional “Mercadito por el Día de la Independencia de Guatemala” that will take place on September 13th. OPAI ensures parents are well-informed of the wide variety of activities and attempts to involve the Interamericano community as much as posible. We invite all parents to be a part of this courageous endevour and get involved in our more ambitious programs, like Escuela para Padres. The aforementioned effort provides important education related seminars and conferences exclusively for the Interamericano community. An Escuela para Padres calendar can be found on the school website or on this monthly newsletter.
IN THE PICS Middle left: Communication with stakeholders is critical. Mr. Ting speaks to OPAI grade and section mothers about school accomplishments and plans. Middle right: “Shucos” are a Guatemalan tradition and one of OPAI’s main attractions during “Tiendita” days. Bottom left: OPAI parents help out during special school activities, keeping moms and dads involved in everyday school life. Bottom right: Mercadito 2012 was a huge success. We hope that you will be able to join us for Mercadito 2013 on September 13!
"ESCUELA PARA PADRES" (FREE PARENT CLASSES) FALL SEMESTER CALENDAR Singapore Math Overview for Beginners Singapore Math Overview for Beginners Literacy by Design Overview for Beginners Literacy by Design Overview for Beginners Elementary Thinkcentral Math/Lit. Resources Elementary Thinkcentral Math/Lit. Resources
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September 6 / 8:30 AM – 10 AM September 9 / 5:30 PM – 7 PM September 19 / 8:30 AM – 10 AM September 19 / 5:30 PM – 7 PM September 17 / 8:30 AM – 10 AM September 17 / 5:30 PM – 7 PM
Elementary iPad Program Overview October 17 / 8:30 AM – 10 AM Elementary iPad Program Overview October 17 / 5:30 PM – 7 PM Engage Your Child in Literacy (Lower Elementary) November 21 / 8:30 AM – 10 AM Engage Your Child in Literacy (Upper Elementary) November 21 / 1 PM – 2:30 PM
*You may sign up for classes by emailing your interest to csalvatierra@interamericano.edu.gt or by calling 2200-2990 ext. 135
Cassondra Angle Elementary Grade 1 Michigan, USA
Amanda Bourdon Grade 5 Teacher Ontario, Canada
Douglas Tedford High School English Illinois, USA
Alison Thomas, High school Biology Washington, USA
John McCraw High School English Texas, USA
Edwin O’neal Elementary Grade 4 Illinois, USA
New Faces
Jessica Medsker High School English Colorado, Denver
Peter Holmes Elementary Teacher New York, USA
at Interamericano
Phillis Bellemare Middle School L.Arts Maine, USA
Kimberly Turner Elementary Grade 2 Ohio, USA
Claudia Vásquez Elementary/MS Art Guatemala, Guate.
Gregory Bellemare Elementary Principal Maine, USA
Merin Orantes Elementary Ed. Assis. California, USA
Edberto Pop MS/HS Strings Sololá, Guatemala
Camilo Rivas High School Estudio Sociales Guatemala, Guate.
Luisa Lemus Elementary Ed. Assis. Guatemala, Guate.
Lucrecia Perez Elementary Grade 3 Guatemala, Guate.
Ericka Artiga Elementary Ed. Assis. Guatemala, Guate.
María Subuyuj Elementary Ed. Assis. Guatemala, Guate.
Michelle Alvarado Elementary Ed. Assis. Guatemala, Guate.
Gerald Schaeffer Middle School Techn. Guatemala, Guate.
Gabriela Ixcoy High School Algebra Guatemala, Guate.
Rafael Murga High School Techn. Guatemala, Guate.
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