A message from our General Director
Dear Camino Parents,
The development and success of a child´s education relies on the team effort between parents, teachers and the students. We all know that students learn more and have a better quality of life when everyone in the school community works together to share ideas, information and work on projects together. Annually the Parent Society participates in conjunction with the school board, student council and staff of El Camino in these projects and programs that benefit the children in our school. Last year some of the projects included;
– Children´s Day Festivities
– Student´s Day Concert
– Beach Day
– Christmas Bazaar and Festival
– Fundraiser like the Casino Night that raised nearly $80,000.00 pesos
– Car Raffle that raised nearly $300,000.00 pesos
– Student Council mini marathon that raised nearly $70,000.00 pesos
– Parents Society raised $40.000,00 pesos for the roofing project
This school year´s plan includes:
– Children´s and Student´s Day festivities
– Beach Day
– Christmas Festival and Bazaar
– Fundraising for the future amphitheater and art center (Visual Arts room, computer lab and Black Box Theater multi use room)
By becoming a Parent society member as either a chairperson (President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer) or as a vocal for a group you become an important part in guaranteeing that these plans will be a reality. We also are open to new ideas for the benefit of all our children.
Active members of the parent society are recognized by the scholarship committee for Colegio El Camino when applying for scholarships.
Please join us to make a difference in the education, health and well being of our children.
The meeting will take place Monday October 5th at 6:00 pm in the school. Attendance will be taken at the main entrance to the school patio between 5:30 and 6:00pm.
If you are unable to attend but want to participate please write an email to our school director Mr. Heath Sparrow at hsparrow@elcamino.edu.mx indicating which position you wish to volunteer as.
We want to thank The Resort at Pedregal for their $25,000.00 pesos donation for our future Organic Farm Project.
Kindergarten
Dear Preschool Community,
This month we are celebrating our homeland! Our little ones from K1 have made a very beautiful frieze. They have truly enjoyed working on this project with their teachers Miss Lili and Miss Dolly. Also, a very happy birthday to Marcos Claro Hitron from K3!
I wanted to share a very interesting and important article from the Spanish Sleep Clinic regarding the benefits of sleep. Without the proper amount of sleep every night your child may not be as engaged or perform as well in school. In order for each and every student to reach his or her full potential, a good night’s rest is key. Below are the most important points from the article.
How many hours sleep children need?
For young children, between the ages of 2-4, 10 hours of sleep is recommended per night, plus a regular nap. From ages 3+, the need to sleep during the day decreases and by the time they reach 6 years old naps may have tapered off significantly.
After age 7, it is uncommon for a child to need a nap. However, if they do, it’s likely that at night they will sleep less than they need, or may suffer from distracted and fitful sleep.
When should we suspect a sleep problem in a child?
Sleep needs vary considerably from child to child. There are no uniform sleep patterns, and the needs of one child may not be applicable to the next. However, if you find that your child is having trouble falling asleep, maintaining a full night’s sleep, or are lethargic during the day, there may be significant cause to suspect a sleep problem.
Bad Habits
Children may exhibit difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep during the night. Children will rarely complain of this problem- they’re happy to stay awake and play!
One of the reasons falling asleep (also known as sleep initiation) may be so difficult for children is because it requires complex coordination of biological circumstances and learned behaviors:
– The body must be physiologically ready for sleep. It’s important to take time to “wind down” after a long day at school.
– A before-bed ritual needs to be maintained to help our bodies prepare to sleep. When missing, these sleep rituals prevent us from falling asleep.
The before-bed habits we practice as adults are also required for children. Often, child insomnia is caused because of stimuli associated with the onset of sleep
Stress
Stress in children may be caused by an irregular schedule, over-stimulation, family issues, childhood fears or anxiety. Routines are beneficial to children because it offers them both structure and security. When this security is threatened, children become anxious, oftentimes crying, exhibiting changes in behavior and resisting sleep at night. Long afternoon naps are another frequent cause of childhood insomnia. If a child’s nap lasts too late in to the afternoon, or lasts more than 3 hours, they may be headed for a fitful night of sleep.
A child may also have difficulty understanding when it is time to go to bed, but can still sense changes in the family environment at night. This confusion, even in the security of a happy home, can cause unrest. Some children may be afraid of the dark or of imaginary creatures such as “monsters under the bed” or the Boogey Man!
Whatever the case of childhood insomnia, the response of the parents must always be of love and support. We must talk to our children about their fears. Isn´t this interesting?
When our children enter school, their routine changes. We must ensure that our children come to school well rested and ready for all the activities of the day. We could then ask ourselves: “How much did I know about this? Is my child getting enough sleep at night? What bedtime behaviors do we need to change?”
A well-rested child is one that will learn better and be more engaged.
Elementary
On Monday 21st we sent out with your children the log in information for our new Schoology Platform. We are very excited that parents can now view their children´s homework assignments and also be in direct contact with teachers!
We also want to remind you that according to school´s official calendar we will start with the bimester exams from October 1st to the 9th. We hope to see everyone arriving on time.
Students who wish to attend school in costume may do so for October 29th. We will have a Halloween costume parade during recess.
October Birthdays:
Boris Daniel Escobar Rodríguez 1° A
Jesús Rogelio Pimentel Flores 2° A
Jack Bucley Knatchbull Hugessen 5° A
Elías Santiago Ortiz López 4° A
Regina Barba Villalpando 1° A
Abdoul Rahmane Seye 6° B
Igden Sánchez Camacho 5° A
IB Primary Years Programme
Dear Camino community,
We have initiated the development of the units of inquiry in all groups of preschool and elementary school. The units of inquiry have a duration of 5 to 6 weeks for most groups (Kinder III – 6th grade), for groups Kinder I and II duration is slightly higher due to the age of the students and the process of maturity that they present.
The units of inquiry explored various aspects of the transdisciplinary themes, this time we are exploring two:
– The students of preschool 1 and 3 as well as all Elementary groups are all working the transdisciplinary theme “About Us”: an inquiry into the nature of being, beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be a human being.
– Students in preschool 2 are working the transdisciplinary theme “How we organize ourselves” through this seek to understand the importance of making arrangements to promote coexistence.
The development of the units of inquiry takes as its starting point the understanding of a great idea, let’s call center idea. This central idea in turn has three lines of inquiry are explored through key concepts.
What we seek to address key concepts is that students question in different ways.
But how can parents be involved in the development of the units of inquiry? You can support us at home reviewing the unit corresponding to the degree of their children and helping to provide information from various media, such as books, magazines, visits to museums (they have a chance outside of Cabo San Lucas), documentaries, images or event personal life.
At the beginning of the unit of inquiry you will receive a newsletter of the units of inquiry that the children will develop, we hope to count with your support, to participate actively in these units, please get in touch with your children´s teachers or with the PYP coordinator, Gustavo Mejia gmejia@elcamino.edu.mx mail.
Enjoy this adventure of learning and constructing meaning together with their children.
IB DP Middle and High School
Noche Mexicana
Congratulations to all our Middle School and High School students for their 
participation in Noche Mexicana! It was truly an unforgettable experience where our 10th-12th grade students wore amazing, traditional costumes.
Grito de Dolores was a very emotional production that reminded us of the emancipation of the characters represented in Noche Mexicana. Great work done by all.
Communication with Parents
We’d like to take a moment to congratulate our 9th and 12th grade students. They were the only grades that turned in 100% of the information slips sent home to parents! Congratulations to both the students and their parents for a great effort!
Upcoming Events
– October 5th-9th: Bimester exams. Exam schedules will be sent home with each student.
– Lexium exams for both sections and MAP for Middle School, 10th and 11th grades.
– October 25th – CLASSES CANCELLED for School Council
– Halloween!
-Theme for Middle School: Actresses
-Theme for High School: Musicians
– October 29th: Our annual costume parade will take place during lunch break.
Psychology
Game Psychology
Child´s play is a scenario where all sorts of different situations are created, allowing children to form inquisitive thoughts, test their knowledge and interact with other children in various environments.
A “game” is an activity present in all human beings, regardless of their age. Although playing games are usually associated with childhood, the truth is that games are exhibited throughout human life. Games are commonly identified with fun, entertainment and satisfaction. But, the importance of playing games is much greater for children because, throughout the game, values are transmitted, as well as behavior, language, conflicts resolution and personality development- all in this one learning process.
Author and educator Jean Piaget made a complete description of the major types of games that appear chronologically in childhood. The sequence established by Piaget is:
Sensorimotor Stage
– Between 0 and 2 years: predominantly functional exercise or games. These are games that consist in repetitive actions conducted simply for the pleasure of instant gratification.
Preoperational Stage
– Between 2 and 6 years: mainly symbolic play. These are games involving imaginary situations, objects and characters.
Stage of Concrete Operations
– Between 6 and 12 years: Mainly consisting of a played-out set of rules.
Playing games has clear educational value- it helps children develop motor, mental, social and emotional skills. It also aids in stimulating their interest, spirit of observation and exploration as they become more curious to know what’s around them. Playing games becomes a discovery process of external reality through which the child builds up, and gradually restructures concepts about the world. It also helps children to discover who they are develop his or her personality.
All that being said, there’s only one thing left to do… GO AND HAVE FUN!
Library
With the new school year firmly in place, it is easy to fall into the same rhythms. The inauguration of the library was only a year ago, and since then, we have seen a number of the students find it as a haven as well as a place for learning. But as the Chesire Cat tells Alice – it is good to have goals. Colegio El Camino has a vision for the library and its future. It is a challenging goal – but one that supports the overall mission and vision of the school. A library in an IB World School is considered essential and has an important role in encouraging vibrant communities of lifelong learners.
The library must provide access to information that supports inquiry and learning, and to fictional literature encompassing many genres. It should be able to select and provide the necessary relevant resources for current Diploma Programme (DP) extended and theory of knowledge (TOK) essays, Middle Years Programme (MYP) projects, and a Primary Years Programme (PYP) unit of inquiry. In addition to printed and illustrated texts, the modern school library must offer access to quality digital resources. The IB clearly states that “all teachers are teachers of language” and this has immediate impact for the library. Our goal is to offer significant literature collections in both languages.
The IB School library is more than just a provider of resources. For the students, it is an environment which supports inquiry, action and reflection. Additionally the library can encourage the community as a whole to participate; this provides an excellent role model and a ready example of the joys of spontaneous and lifelong learning. Your visit, interest and participation is always welcome!
Sports
Welcome to Sport Academies 2015-2016, we want to give a warm welcome to our new coaches!
Miss Yadira Albañil – Tae kwon Do
Arq. Jose Garcia – Middle and High School Basketball coach
Prof. Ivan Mendoza – High School Soccer coach
And as usual our dear coaches:
Miss Raquel Urias – Elementary Boys Basketball coach
Erick Gonzalez – Pre School-Middle School Soccer coach
Ivan Lopez – Flag Footbal (Tocho) Coach
Angela Brown – Volleyball coach
Magda Osorio – Physical conditioning coach, and Saira Perales our Sports Coordinator.
In this new school year we have new soccer classes for kinder and high school. Schedules and costs for Sport Academies can be found in our website.
We are also very excited to have participated in the first basketball tournament this year, Panteras tournament in which we got third place. We hope to participate in many more!
