Gazette November 2018

Director’s Message

We’d like to invite you to participate in our School’s Diagnostic Committee for our 5 Year Engagement Review. We are working towards a SACS AdvancED which will help our school improve!

Would you like to be a front line participant in our ongoing school improvement measures? Do you have a keen interest and ability to work as a team member? Please join us as a member of one of our 3 committees addressing our school improvement measures in our Diagnostic Review!

What is a diagnostic review and what is its purpose?

Colegio El Camino is a unique school as we are only 1 of 37 AdvancED accredited schools in Mexico. We are currently in our Engagement Review year where 4 certified and trained evaluators will join us in March to help us in our continuous improvement measures by giving us candid feedback on our best practices and areas of opportunity. They will observe classes, review documents and evidence as well as interview members of the community. Prior to their arrival we must send them our self-evaluation called a DIAGNOSTIC. This approach to improvement is a customized journey based on a set of factors where our school will have the potential for transformation by focusing on changing processes, practices and actions to drive improvement. This approach will help outline the evidence, outcomes and successes we are seeking.

Development of the AdvancED Diagnostic Tool.

AdvancED’s deep experiential base combined with 21st century perspective on effective schools and school systems, led to the identification of seven research-based school/system quality factors that are key to driving improvement. These seven factors are foundational to the School/System Quality Factors Diagnostic, a tool we will be now be using for inward examination and analysis along our improvement journey. There will be three committees formed under the areas of Leadership Capacity, Learning Capacity, and Resource Capacity. The factors to be assessed include Clear Direction, Healthy Culture, High Expectations, Impact of Instruction, Resource Management, Efficacy of Engagement, and Implementation of Capacity.

How can I participate?

If you are interested, please see the link to the invitation and committee membership requirements and criteria. To apply simply send an email to [email protected] and include the following information:

1. If you are a Parent: name, years in the school and grade(s) where your children is/are studying and if you are Parent Society Member
2. If you are a Student: name, grade, gender, years in the school and if you are a member of the student council
3. If you are Teacher/Staff: Name, section and years in the school

Or please call Veronica at 143 2100 ext 112 to register your application. All applications will be considered and after a review of all applicants that meet this criteria, successful candidates will be invited personally by the school leadership team and Board through a formal letter.

When will we meet?

There will 2 meetings to go over the committees’ mandates, protocols and timelines. The first meeting will be Thursday December 13th from 1:30 to 2:30pm to briefly review over the protocols. Refreshments and snacks will be provided. The Diagnostic Evaluation will occur on Friday January 25^th 2019 during our Professional Development Day and will run from 9:00am to no later than 2pm. Lunch will be provided that day for all participants.

Kinder

We would like to share an article regarding the importance of support you can provide your children while doing school activities at home.

The support and encouragement that parents give their children improves the development and education of students. Parents have the responsibility to ensure that children grow up in a healthy environment in which they are cared for, listened to, where they feel safe and loved. A healthy environment assists and constantly stimulates the development of their communication, movement, play, reflection and communication skills.

The intervention of parents, as well as older siblings, uncles, aunts and grandparents in daily reading and writing makes it possible for children to receive very different models and experiences that will help them learn better.

Children begin to learn about written language with first contact with books, signs, and places where there are written words and above all, when they observe that written language is used as a form of communication. For example, when they see someone reading the newspaper, a book, brochure, magazine or their brother who does homework writing in a notebook or typing in a computer. Children realize that they “write” thoughtful ideas and this discovery is very important in their reading/ learning process. Therefore we must encourage them to write in their own way as well what they want to communicate to others.

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Elementary

4^th Grade students carried out some fun activities in the laboratory putting into practice some of the attributes of the learner profile including being inquirers, well informed and good communicators. With these activities they develop their natural curiosity, acquire necessary skills to investigate and demonstrate autonomy in their learning process.

They enjoyed the learning process and their thirst for knowledge as well. The subject was: Plants and living beings. These were the activities:

1. Looking through a microscope and magnifying glasses at the components of a flower.
2. Germination of seeds
3. Storing food to observe the process of decomposition (bacteria and fungi)

Students show great interest and enthusiasm in these experiences which are developed in different clubs, which take place on days 3 and 4 of our cycle.

Some work in a written manner with good habits and express their thoughts and understandings critically. We love to observe their solidarity with their peers to support those who need better understanding of the Spanish language, using memory games and board games that help them develop different skills with challenges that are gradually exceeding their own expectations.

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Primary Years Programme – PYP

In August we started activities and we welcomed everyone to enjoy a school year full of new experiences to share among teachers, students and the whole community of Colegio El Camino.

During these months our students have enjoyed 2 inquiry units with special workshops and activities that foster identity, the philosophy of our institution, knowledge, concepts and skills that will support them for life.

Parents have participated in IB Philosophy Workshops and accompanied us in initiating units of inquiry such as “Who we are” to promote a home-school alliance and together we can support our children.

To truly have continuity between school and home it is important to promote the profile of the learning community, so we invite you to review again, in the following text:

The profile of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) learning community is the expression of a wide range of human capabilities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success.

These attributes entail a commitment to help all members of the school community to learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them.

Each of the IB programs is committed to developing the profile of the IB learning community in students.

This profile aims to train students to become:

• Inquirers
• Well informed
• Thinkers
• Good communicators
• Integral
• Open minded
• Solidary
• Audacious
• Balanced
• Reflective
  

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  Middle and High School

  Here we share some moments of Middle and High School staff participating in our traditional Halloween celebration.

Altars

In order to promote traditions and continue with the Mexican culture, and to also have a healthy and peaceful coexistence between students, parents and teachers, administrative staff the students from Middle and High School prepared their Catrinas and altars for the Day of the Dead exhibition this past November 1^st.

*Altars Gallery

2018 Los Cabos Film Festival

The 7th Los Cabos International Film Festival was held this past Nov. 7th and lasted 5 days. Many of our High School students were invited to participate as volunteers.

Students performed different activities such as: press room, red carpet and movie theaters, demonstrating at all times, as IB students, the attributes of integrity, audacity, balance, solidarity and open-mindedness.

Colegio El Camino students demonstrated we are a different school, of high educational level and of human quality, involving its students not only in academic and sporting events but also in cultural events of international stature.

The film festival gave the school 135 tickets to watch documentaries and films related to the subjects of biology and psychology, which were attended by a total of 80 students from grades 7th, 10th and 12th.

Last Friday, November 16th, Middle School students, led by Victoria Huicochea, prepared their presentations for thier English Language and Literature courses based on the books read in 7th, 8th and 9th grade. After completing their reading they were assigned a project in which they had to perform to their classmates.

Students of 9th A and 9th B groups elaborated an illustrated chronology about the Independence of Mexico; in which they investigated the historical events, the causality of the political and social process to represent it in an illustrated timeline. This project allowed students to recognize and understand the independence process from Spain. This activity took place in History with Miss Liliana.

Title: Evaluating an urban eco-system

Objective: Students evaluated and analyzed the floristic composition of the urban school ecosystem and an ecosystem to choose by applying collection techniques.

In addition, using applications, they carried out the investigation of the scientific names of the connected specimens, to manage and determine their taxonomic classification. This took place in Biology with Miss Diana.

Diploma Porgramme DP

The International Baccalaureate celebrates 50 years and El Camino 35 years; both entities
consolidate their growth in the same philosophy through the Learner Profile,
involving more than 4000 schools in the world and more than 100 schools in Mexico.

In this path of development, El Camino continues to consider the training of
teachers as a top priority, therefore; there was a group of teachers from Middle and High School that took a series of workshops through IBAMEX and our school:

Psychology

On this occasion we want to share the experiences of the students from Elementary who had a workshop about intimidation called “Cyber Bullying – Solution of Conflicts“ during the month of August, while our little ones from kinder attended the “Discover your emotions” workshop.

A student from 2^nd Grade wrote:

“We should be better communicators to avoid conflicts.”

Another student wrote “I think we should be more caring and help a person when they are in trouble so we can solve the conflict.”

Feedback and reflections provided by students show a meaningful learning process and that the IB learners profile plays an important role in their social and emotional skills.

The Cyber Bullying Workshop  in 4th, 5th and 6^th grade captured their attention since students today have access to many devices so it is necessary to overview the proper use at home. Part of the reflections of students were:

1. communication and trust with parents
2. never provide personal information to a stranger
3. always be mindful of what you write to avoid hurting others
4. be careful with the photos that are shared
5. talk to a an adult whom you trust if you ever feel intimidated and always be well informed

We will have a new workshop soon and invitations will be sent to all parents through Schoology.

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Library

We would like to share with you how a full library is so satisfying! Elementary school students lead the way in visits, however every day we see more affluence of middle and high school students who use this space to read and study at their breaks. In addition the library has become a study center for groups and classes coordinated by their teachers.

We are also collaborating with 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd grades, in which we explain the rules and behavior code while visiting the library, different sections of a book, reading and analysis of different texts and of course investigation and inquiry.

The library is in charge of the Preschool Club (“The Vault of Imagination”), where as the name says the children of k1, k2 and k3 imagine, learn to listen, enjoy and recreate the stories they are told. This has been a wonderful experience to see every gesture of joy, surprise and even uncertainty across many young faces when they are presented with puppets, drawings and costumes of the main characters of the story they are listening to.

We’d like to give a big thank you to the families who have donated material this school year:

Díaz Rivera Family

Sparrow Zaldívar Family

10^th Grade Student Diego Felipe Fumachi Montes

6^th Grade Student Fátima Victoria Méndez

Lastly, we would like to thank the Student Council for their donation of 4 puff style couches that provide maximum comfort and motivation to our visitors!

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Technology

Data Protection

Data security refers to digital privacy protection measures that are applied to prevent unauthorized access to data, which can be found in computers, databases, websites, etc. Data security also protects data from possible corruption. We have recently heard of unauthorized introduction and theft of large corporations such as BANAMEX, FACEBOOK, etc. and this makes it clear that computer systems regarding of antivirus and protection systems are not infallible; We must take measures to mitigate the possible attack on our systems, such as:

• Change passwords to sites such as banking portals and emails that are often unrelated to personal data such as date of birth or RFC
• make continuous backups and in different media such as external drives
• USB drives, or online as Google Drive so that In case of “hijacking” of our files we have alternatives to access them
• Avoid navigating through dangerous web sites such as movies and games for freenot entering bank accounts or confidential information from public places such as commercial plazas or airports.