Category: Articles

At the end of October, the elementary hallways were brought to life with creative door decorations honoring some of our favorite books.  Judges had the extremely challenging task of choosing one door in lower elementary and one door in upper elementary as the winners.

5C had worked tirelessly at school and at home creating a door dedicated to Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  The students excitedly planned their door decoration, which included a chocolate fountain to represent the chocolate river and a life sized manikin of Willy Wonka himself!  When the judges came, 5C eloquently described their door to the judges and awaited the results.

 

When Ms. Tina came in to announce that 5C had won the contest, their cheers could likely be heard in every classroom on campus!  They definitely deserved to win, and now they had the exciting task of determining what to do with the prize: $100!

As a class, 5C discussed possibilities.  They came up with ideas that ranged from new books to educational games to a class trip to the movie theaters.  5C also toyed with the idea of donating some or all of the money.  After more discussion, and more time, 5C started learning about some amazing organizations right here in Guatemala City that are working hard to make a difference.

They researched Lemonade International, an organization that works to provide, among other things, educational opportunities to children living in La Limonada to keep them off the streets.  A number of Inter teachers have worked with this organization and have seen firsthand the difference it’s making in the lives of children living in this dangerous part of the city.   5C was touched by the work being done. If you’re interested in learning more about this organization, check out their website at http://www.lemonadeinternational.org/

5C also learned about Potter’s House, an organization working to improve the lives of children living in the dump in Guatemala.  Their goal is to help these children see themselves as treasures, not scavengers.  They have a number of projects to support, teach and nourish children living in these challenging circumstances.  For more information about this organization, go to their website at http://www.pottershouse.org.gt/

Although 5C could have planned a class field trip to the movies, or bought a few new books for their classroom library, after careful consideration, they decided to donate all of the money to these two amazing organizations.

As their teacher, I couldn’t be prouder of their generous, thoughtful, selfless choice.  They had an opportunity to think of themselves and they chose to think bigger.  $100 could have enriched our classroom a bit, but they realized that it could go so much further in these two organizations.  They realized that they had the perfect opportunity to make a real difference in Guatemala.  They also learned that the act of giving can be more rewarding than a reward itself.

To celebrate their generosity, I hosted a pajama party for them, but the real prize is the knowledge that they made a difference and the beautiful feeling that giving leaves with you.  I am so proud of my students and I hope they inspire more students to try to make a difference in this beautiful country we live in.

Written by: Rebecca Kramer
Homeroom Teacher 5C

Colegio Interamericano invited international literacy consultant Mr. Vincent Ventura to host different workshops with the Elementary teachers throughout the week.

Vincent has served as a consultant in several Latin American countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Surinam, Colombia, among others. One of his main roles as a literacy consultant is to foster the love for reading and writing by supporting the teachers and literacy coaches.

During his visit at Interamericano, Vincent shared about the necessity to be intentional with the oral language, both listening and speaking. “In a school where they teach English as a second language, we need to give intentional and purposeful opportunities for the students to speak,” said Vincent.

Amanda Bourdon, Interamericano’s literacy coach, knows that having Vincent coming to the school was a great experience since it has many more benefits than just sending teachers to professional development. Having Vincent do an in-house professional development helped adapt the workshops to the needs of the school, it was geared specifically to our teachers.

Vincent got the opportunity to work with students and to demonstrate some of the methods he suggested. Interamericano’s teachers got the opportunity to dialogue with Vincent, put into practice what they learned, and get feedback.

One of the techniques that Vincent is promoting is to have conversations with the students so they can continue a thought process and ask questions, and then giving advice to the students. “The intention is to acknowledge kids during these conversations, encourage them to have real conversations instead of the children just repeating,” said Vincent, who also shared about the architecture of a mini-lesson.

He encouraged teachers to emphasize on the content and ideas when writing. “Most of the time, schools emphasize on the mechanics of writing… Writing is not just the mechanics, but also the ideas of writing, being an author,” he said.

Vincent enjoyed his visit to the school and was able to see the positive attitude in the students and teachers. “The campus itself is so picturesque. The students are very eager to learn and very committed to learning. The teachers are very reflective and open to ideas to improve their practice, knowing that at the end of the day is about helping the students,” Vincent stated.

Colegio Interamericano is promoting the love for books, the love for reading and writing. It is part of the school’s culture as the students learn to become independent readers and writers.

Written by: Marcel Guadrón
Communications Coordinator

The school counselors along with parents continue to work together to promote values among our students. Values play a key role in the Colegio Interamericano community. Having a holistic education makes a big difference in the student’s lives. The school is helping children develop positive values that will shape their relationships, behaviors, choices, and who they are as positive role members of their community.

From January until mid-February, the emphasis is on respect, one of the six pillars of character. Respect is key in having healthy relationships in school; as students will learn to treat others with respect, be tolerant, be considerate of others feelings, not hurting anyone, and following the Golden Rule amongst each other.

Throughout the semester, the students will continue to learn and put into practice different values. First, the counselors hold a workshop for the parents, as they will be the individuals sharing the value in the classrooms. The week following the parents workshop, the students hear directly from the parents the importance of each value, as they will help them grow personally and become better people.

The values that the counselors will be promoting during this semester are: respect, caring, trustworthiness, and justice.

We encourage you to take a vital part in the personal development of our students, for more information on how you can participate please contact our Elementary School Counselors: Mrs. Aura de Mejia or Mrs. Ruth Chafchalaf.

For more information visit:

http://charactercounts.org/sixpillars.html