04 Mar 2024

Superintendent's Office

 Dear ACS Community,

Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey to determine themes for new statements of Mission, Vision, and Core Values.  Your input will guide ACS into the future.  The steering committee will meet today to analyze the results and design methods of understanding at a deeper level the meaning behind the themes the community has prioritized.

If you are in the elementary or middle school, I hope to see you at our coffee mornings devoted to understanding our curriculum review process and how it will shape instructional improvement.  The elementary meeting is this Friday.  The Middle School meeting is next Monday.  

The new continuous curriculum review process that we designed and implemented last semester has a far-reaching impact.  Not only do we have teams using this process to look critically at specific curricular areas, but they are also designing improvement plans and the process is driving resource allocation through our budget.  We can't wait to tell you more at the coffee morning.

Have a great week ahead.

Yours,

Andrew


Estimada Comunidad de ACS,

Gracias a todos los que participaron en la encuesta para determinar temas de las nuevas declaraciones de Misión, Visión y Valores Fundamentales.  Su opinión guiará a ACS hacia el futuro. El comité directivo se reunirá hoy para analizar los resultados y diseñar métodos para comprender en un nivel más profundo el significado detrás de los temas que la comunidad ha priorizado.

A los que están en Primaria o Intermedio, espero verlos en nuestras mañanas de café dedicadas a comprender nuestro proceso de revisión del plan de estudios y cómo se dará forma a la mejora de la instrucción. La reunión de Primaria es este viernes y la de Intermedio es el próximo lunes.

El nuevo proceso de revisión continua del plan de estudios que diseñamos e implementamos el semestre pasado tiene un impacto de gran alcance. No solo tenemos equipos que utilizan este proceso para observar críticamente las áreas curriculares específicas, sino que también están diseñando planes de mejora y el proceso está impulsando la asignación de recursos a través de nuestro presupuesto. Esperamos contarles más en el café de la mañana.

Que tengan una gran semana.

Atentamente,

Andrew

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Urgent Action Items

 

  • 5 March., tuition is due
  • ES Parent Coffee: Curricular Review and Looking to Next Year, Friday, March 8th, 8:15-9:15 
  • MS Parent Coffee: Curriculum Review and Looking to Next Year, Monday, March 11th, 8:15-9:1
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    ACS Calendar

    • Wed – PD
    • Fri – ES Parent Coffee (tbc time)
    • Sat – SAT Exam
    • Mon – MS/HS Cougar Cup (11-15)
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    Elementary School

    Dear Elementary Parents,

    A rainy Monday makes me hope that the rainy season is nearly over. We have lots happening right now, so please check below for more information:

    Friday, March 8th - Parent Coffee - Curricular Review & Looking to Next Year: Join us to learn about the exciting Curricular Review taking place in our Elementary School this semester. We are looking at a variety of subject areas, evaluating how our current curriculum and programming in each area are meeting the needs of our community, and exploring opportunities for growth and innovation! We hope to see you there!


    Student-led conferences are scheduled for Friday, March 22, 2024: These conferences are valuable opportunities for families to engage in their child's learning journey and celebrate achievements together.

    During these conferences, students take ownership of their progress, set goals, and showcase their achievements. Teachers have prepared them to identify challenges, express ideas clearly, and communicate effectively.


    Parents will gain insight into their child's academic progress and understanding of strengths and challenges from their perspective.


    Here's how you can support your child:

    • Encourage independence and active participation

    • Celebrate achievements to boost confidence

    • Approach the conference with an open mind and positivity

    • Focus on growth and learning from setbacks


    A few other logistics:

    • Your child must be present; please do not leave them at home. Siblings may also attend

    • Teachers will be present to facilitate various student groups at a time

    • For concerns, please schedule a separate meeting with the teacher

    • Specials and Spanish conferences (10-minutes in length) are optional but also available


    Soon, you will receive links to sign up for conferences. From March 7th through 14th, parents with more than 1 child in our ACS elementary school will be able to reserve their space. From March 14th through 21st, all elementary parents will be able to register.


    April: We are so excited to share a new event at ACS - Literacy Celebration Month! The month of April will be jam-packed with fun events that promote a love of reading and writing. We have author visits, parent workshops, a book fair, a book swap, and tons of other things coming. April will be a busy month and parents are encouraged to get engaged and be part of the fun! Stay tuned for the exact days and times of these exciting events!


    Friday, April 19th - Earth Day at ACS: That's right - on Friday, April 19th ACS will be coming together as a true "Green Team" to celebrate Planet Earth and raise awareness on sustainability and environmental topics. We are very excited for this day!


    Thanks so much for reading! I wish you a week of sunshine or at least sunny spirits!


    Sincerely,

    Eric Crabtree

    Elementary Principal





    Open Message

    Secondary School

    Dear parents,

    It's hard to believe that we are nearing the end of the 3rd quarter. Third quarter report cards will be sent on Friday, March 22. Please check with your child about his or her academic progress, and contact teachers directly if there are any questions or concerns. 

    To help facilitate this critical communication, we will host Teacher-Student-Parent conferences on Thursday, April 4. All classes will be cancelled on this day to allow parents and students to drop in for brief conversations with any or all of your child's teachers. Teachers will be available in the Secondary Library from 8:00 until 11:00 and again from 12:00 until 3:00. Attendance is encouraged but optional, and no appointment is necessary. Students are expected to attend with their parents.

    We are excited to continue offering opportunities to purchase books in English for the ACS Community. We are partnering with Ernesto Martinez, from Vinculos Publishing, here in La Paz, to offer high-quality books and literature for students from age 3 through Grade 12.


    Catalog of Secondary Books

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZLxT4E0apY4dEedWYrfXjqLy-Z3bAE1R/view?usp=sharing


    Price in Bolivianos of Secondary Books

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qLooey-hL564sqQp8fGHv09_EnZnzSIy/view?usp=sharing


    To Order:

    1. On or before March 17, email Ernesto Martinez (ernesto@vinculos.com.bo) the titles and the item numbers (a 1-, 2- or 3-digit number) of the books you want.
    2. Make sure to include “ACS” in your email. Ernesto will reply to you with the total amount owed and options on how to pay (QR, bank transfer, or online payment).
    3. The books will be delivered to the school in the first half of April; details on their arrival will be shared as they become available.

    We also want to share a few updates about continued work in the Secondary program. One of these concerns our course schedule. A committee of teachers and school leaders has been meeting in an effort to resolve many of the challenges with the current schedule. Some of those challenges include the limited choices available to students during a particular time of day, sustaining learning with semester-long classes, and limited collaborative time for teachers which is necessary for curricular alignment and needed professional development. Although some compromises still will be necessary, it is our intent to share an improved schedule for the 2024-2025 school year in the coming weeks.

    Another committee of parents, teachers, and school leaders has started work on examining options for experiential learning and resolving the myriad challenges to the Classroom Without Walls program. This committee has been charged with designing solution(s) to those challenges while ensuring an enriching learning experience for students. Please keep in mind that no decisions about the future of this program have been made. We are hopeful that the committee will be able to provide an update in the near future.

    As always, please contact us with any questions.

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