General Director
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Colegio El Camino is engaged in an ongoing continuous improvement process, of which all stakeholders are a part. Our School will be sending you an invitation to participate in the online survey on Monday MAY 16th as one method of reaching all stakeholders.
Surveys are a means to systematically engage all our stakeholders in a two-way communication. They provide school leaders and teachers a lens into the thinking and perceptions of our stakeholders. Careful analysis of the results enriches understanding of areas of strength and effectiveness as well as those areas that possibly need improvement. The survey results will enable our school leaders to measure stakeholders’ attitudes and help target improvement strategies focused on student achievement as well as school effectiveness. Taking the survey will also help stakeholders understand the AdvancED Standards for Quality Schools and provide a means for learning about what a parent, student, or staff member should be looking for in a high quality school system such as ours.
Our last surveys were analyzed and resulted in many practices continuing in our school and other improvement initiatives being implemented.
Schoology, along with the results from MAP, CPAA and Lexium combined with the IB workshops were our response to your requests for ongoing and in depth reporting of your child´s progress.
The new kinder playground flooring, MAC computers, Elementary Playground, Library and Cafeteria were all infrastructure improvements in response to those surveys.
Your cooperation and support in completing the surveys will be greatly appreciated so we can continue to provide the high quality, vanguard educational services you have come to know at Colegio El Camino. Please be on the lookout for your survey invitation in the coming weeks!
Other News on school improvements!
• 20 Staff members are completing their MAP assessment training this month to be able to effectively analyze and provide support for your children in their strengths and areas of opportunity.
• Our 12th grade generation are halfway through their final IB Diploma exams. Good Luck to them all!
• Our girls soccer team will be travelling to Celaya for the nationals for futbol rapido this month!
• Our elementary girls and boys soccer teams are participating in the annual Bimbo tournament and the girls made it to the semi finals and the boys are in the final against Arturo Guerrero on Friday May 13th! Go Hawks!
• The student council is organizing the annual Fundraising Marathon for May 15th at the Ciclovia to help expand our library. Come out and support this student organized initiative!
• Thanks to the Parent Society for their support in organizing Children´s Day! and Student´s Day. The Parent Society would like to thank the 137 families who have paid their fee. They have sent a request to the other 110 families to participate with this important funding initiative of $400 pesos per family. Please go to the cashier to pay the fee in cash if you still have not done so. Contact Tere Garnica 143 2100 ext 101 if you are unsure.
Kindergarten
We want to thank the Parent´s Society for their contribution with the Children´s Day celebration. It was an amazing experience and our little ones had a great time.
We are getting closer to the end of the school year. We are in the last quarter and it is very important that our K3 students feel safe and confident moving forward to 1st grade. Toy Friday´s, nap time and hand crafts will all be left behind. They are about to embark on one of the most important academic challenges, 1st grade is where they will learn most of the cognitive abilities such as reading, writing, understanding of their surroundings, social skills and math among others.
During the month of May and June we have scheduled visits to Elementary section where they will meet their new friends, new teachers, new school grounds and they will also share lunch time in their new section.
At home, you can also encourage your children by telling them all the exciting things about this change, talk about their new classroom and how they will get to see their friends are moving to 2nd grade. We recommend that you take some time to make sure your child knows the new materials to be used and how to properly care for them. You must be patient as they cannot change into grown ups overnight and each child has different learning processes. Please avoid comparing them to other classmates if they cannot achieve the same task at the same pace as others.
Please try to be in as much contact as possible with the new teachers during the first months as children adapt to this change. This will be key in working together for your child´s adjustment to 1st grade.
Teachers and parents working together to encourage children in this new challenge and help them make the best of it by safely achieving their new goals is the key.
Happy Birthday
SADIE, 6th
ANGEL BARRON, 13th
ALAYA, 30th
COLE CLUNAS, 20th
KRISTEN MONIQUE, 23rd
ALEJANDRO ESQUER, 15th
SOFIA LLACA, 8th
Elementary
We’d like to congratulate our dear student Monserrat Castro Coatzin for her participation and excellent results in the first stage of the Juvenile Knowledge Olympics Contest. The contest was held on March 9th, and now Monserrat advances to the State Level, which will be celebrated on May 21st in the city of La Paz, B.C.S.
Monserrat’s teacher Daniella Jacqueline Agüero García has been supportive throughout the process, making the subject of Mathematics fun to learn and practice. Congratulations and thank you for your effort Miss Daniella!
Mother´s Day celebration for Elementary will take place on Monday, May 9th from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the basketball court, we invite all moms to come and enjoy a great event that your children have prepared for you. We will see you there!
Students will be provided with progress reports on May 11th.
Matrogimnasia (Gym Class with Mom) and Patrogimnasia (Gym Class with Dad) will be held on May 31st for Elementary Students from 1st and 2nd grade, we will be sending out a proper invitation and reminders for these events.
Birthdays
Magaly Arellano Guardado
Andrea Robles Félix
Adolfo Carit Antigua
Itai Guy Fournier
André Alexander Caballero Martínez
Luis Raúl González Aguirre
Elías Alejandro Baños Baños Rojas
Morris Salvador Gómez Erenberg
Alyccia Marguerite Turnage Bustos
Asante Rodríguez Schedler
Juan Carlos Hernández Montaño
Ximena Abril Mata Vázquez
IB PYP Programme
School Community Members talk about the PYP
My name is Ana Teresa Morales, my daughter is Ana Teresa Becerril who´s currently on Kinder 3. This
is our third year in Camino and throughout this time I have seen the school is changing in the way of teaching students, all for the positive.
One of the changes I like the most is that homework is assigned as a goal and not as an obligation. I see students learning from a global understanding. When my daughter comes home I ask her, what was the funniest thing you did today? Her reply is “I drew and played with my friends” and I´m glad she is learning through play and games.
Some of the changes that I have noticed in Ana Teresa are social skills development, this progress is important since she is in the process of learning and developing.
I am fond of the PYP, as a parent I have noticed that besides knowledge, it also attends to the emotional and social formation of core values. This Programme makes me a participant in my daughter´s learning process.
Lastly I want to tell other parents that they should trust our educators. Changes sometimes are difficult but we have to make an effort to embrace them.
My name is Maria Marcela Menedez and my son is Lorenzo Emiliano Palacios from 5th Grade. I want to share with you my son´s acceptance and content with the PYP Programme, he enjoys the team work assignments and the current subjects. A clear example was the unit where they inquired about the different types of governments and the reflection on rights and obligations.
Another aspect of the PYP that my son likes is the way technology is incorporated in their activities, as this makes things more interesting to students. The PYP does not focus only on textbooks, it rather encourages them to search information and share it with their peers.
I personally think that is hard for them to choose the information needed and they require assistance from parents and teachers to select what´s more relevant. The PYP encourages children to be themselves and try to forge their own learning path by the use of available information.
I see that my son has developed self-control and reasoning skills; he created his own schedule for
studying and playing and is more conscious of his own actions. Lorenzo loves to share his thoughts with the family; he writes stories and has an ample vocabulary.
As a parent it was a bet to stay with Camino when the IB PYP was implemented, if this is a program with current events focus and children learn in a more reflective and interesting way, I had my concerns when thinking how Lorenzo would react to change.
One of Camino´s challenges is the continuous training for teachers on the IB Programme, as well as communication with parents to achieve a successful program.
As a message to parents about the IB way of learning I would like to quote Confucius, who once said “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
My name is Lorenzo and I attend 5th Grade. The PYP is fun to learn and understand; it seems very easy for me. I like working in teams because my fellow students help me when there is something I don´t understand. This year I have been able to get a better grasp the concept of math and English grammar.
The profile´s attribute that I identify the most with is open mind, because I´ve learned to understand and respect my classmate’s opinions. I also believe that I should reinforce this attribute because my classmates deserve respect when they share their ideas.
IB Diploma Programme Middle and High School
Cleaning Campaign for School Grounds
It is important to implement a culture of respect for the common spaces ion the grounds of El Camino. 
Our students are actively participating in this cause, we ask for your support as this action starts with reinforcement and reflection from within their own home.
Personal care and presentation reflects our inner care and principles, thus reflecting in the way we take care of the common spaces shared with others.
MAP Results
We will be conducting parent meetings to deliver the results of the second MAP test results. According to this external indicator we are on a continuous improvement. Visit the IB site for Parents http://www.ibo.org/es/information-for-parents
Diploma Candidates – External Exams Presentation
From May 2nd to the 22nd our Diploma Candidates will present their External Evaluation tests which will be sent to England at the OBI exam center. Fulfilling this process closes approximately 100% the evaluations for the Diploma subjects. Let´s support our candidates at home so they can finish the remaining 70% with great success. Congratulations!
Our next goal is to obtain the IB Diplomas for El Camino students.
4th Bimester Evaluation Week
Evaluation period for Middle and High School will be from May 16th to the 24th, students have already been provided with the calendar for these evaluations.
Upcoming Events
IB Evaluations for 12th Grade – starting May until the 20th
Mother´s Day – May 10th
Beach Day for Black Hawks
Educational Trips
Psychology
How to Motivate and Show Appreciation to Your Children
During April, the Month of the Young Child, we want to emphasize the importance of focusing on your child. We’d like to take advantage of this opportunity to reflect on the most important needs in your kids’ life. Most importantly, feeling recognized and valued by their parents.
Let´s take time to reflect: If every day we correct our children negatively and tell them “NO”, their 
balance in the positive bank of emotions is void. Without capital, how are they going to hold up until the end of the month? They will pull and drag within their possibilities, until they feel empty and powerless. Or alternatively, they will be left feeling very dissatisfied.
We all need a balance between responsibilities and fun, so we dare you to do anything that excites you and your children; travel, start a new project or dream up a new concept.
We all like the bank account to have a balance, so we dare you to do anything: travel, to start new projects or dream.
It is the same way with children, the difference being that in their bank is not filling with money; there are emotions, values and security instead. Deposits or withdrawals, in most cases depend on parents; help your children to have an overflowing bank account. Life will take care of leveling the balance, but meanwhile at home, remember to make a deposit of five positive statements a day.
Positive Phrases:
Competence
– Look what you have accomplished, it´s fantastic!
– You are doing a great effort.
– It looks like you are enjoying yourself.
– Great job, keep up the good work!
– You can do it better, keep practicing and you will get it.
– I don´t quite like what you have done, I know you can do better.
– Of course you can do better, always give it your all!
Initiative
– Your effort was well worth it!
– I am positive about your talent, dare to do it!
– Look how far you have come!
– Look where you made the mistake and try again, this time will be easier.
– I like your ideas.
– I´m positive you can find a better solution.
– Try it, it doesn´t matter if you make it or not. We all make mistakes and that´s how we learn.
Communication
– I´m interested in your opinion
– I differ from your opinion, but thank you for your telling me.
– What do you think?
– That is a great observation, thank you.
– That is a very interesting question.
– I like it when you ask me things.
Identity
– I like the way you are.
– I love you!
– I hope you are proud of yourself.
– I like it when you smile.
– I love your company.
– I like what you are becoming.
– Do not compare yourself to others, you are unique.
– We can´t all be good at everything, that´s why we each has its special talents.
– You are special; there is no one like you.
Responsibility
– I know I can trust you.
– You have shown me how responsible you are.
– Making mistakes is a good thing; it shows you how to improve.
– I do not allow it, but I still love you.
– Make your own choices, trust your instinct.
Collaboration
– Thank you for your help.
– What you did means a lot to me.
– I would not have done it that way, but is perfect.
– I see it in a different way; tell me why you think otherwise.
– Take your time to do it.
– I bet it’s easier if two people do it.
– I know it’s a big effort, that´s why I appreciate it.
Sports
Congratulations to our Basketball team category 2004-2005 on their 2nd place at the Municipal Interschool Tournament. Congratulations guys!
Bimbo Cup is underway; our boy´s and girl´s teams from elementary have all winning scores. They have delivered a great performance at each match, showing dedication, courage and hard work but above all their passion for this sport. Best of luck Hawks!
Our Girl´s High School Soccer Team is on practices for the National Interschool Tournament to be celebrated in Celaya next May. We know they will give a great performance as always.