posted February 26, 2014
Victoria Pira, Curriculum Coordinator
The MATHRELAY and MATHCOUNTS events are international activities designed to increase interest and involvement in mathematics among middle school students. It heightens alumni interest in academics by making mathematic achievements as challenging, exciting and prestigious as any school sport.
Students are given time sensitive challenges, in which a quick mental calculation can make the difference between a first place medal and going home empty handed.
This year, The American School of San Salvador organized both the MATH RELAY, on February 14th , and the MATHCOUNTS competition, on the 15th. Eleven schools participated: American School of El Salvador, American School of Guatemala, American School of Tegucigalpa of Honduras, Antigua International School of Guatemala, British School of El Salvador, Colegio Internacional de San Salvador, Escuela Internacional Sampedrana of Honduras, Lincoln International Academy of Nicaragua, Maya School of El Salvador, Panamerican School of El Salvador and our school, Colegio Interamericano of Guatemala.
MATHRELAY gives students a chance to stretch their legs while keeping their mathematical wits about them.
For the competitions, each school selected 16 students who participated in the MATH RELAY in teams of eight, and in the MATHCOUNTS as part of a 4 student team. The participating Middle Schoolers from Inter were: Team A: Hyun Joon Sung, Sabrina Tobar, Javier Arévalo, and Sebastián Montes. Team B: Eric Assa, Carlos Enrique Murillo, Stephan Billingslea and Laura González; Team C: Robbi Jaber, Katya Castellanos, Lucía Galindo, and Sergio Martínez, and team D:Ye Jin Kim, Gabriel Rámila, Martín Rivera Spross, and Carlos Ríos.
The American School of San Salvador did a great job at hosting this prestigious competition, giving ample support to visiting parents, students and staff.
This year Interamericano had an official coach, Ms. Michelle Alvarado, and two assistant coaches, both high school students who participated in Math Counts three years ago, Dieter Erben and Gabriel Rivera. Alvarado also invited a 6th grade and 7th grade students, Javier Galindo and Rodrigo Velásquez, to come along with the official teams to participate in a mixed team competition and get them ready for next year.
In-between competitions the Interamericano teams had a chance to get to know el Salvador and enjoy some delicious local cuisine.
At all levels MATH RELAY and MATHCOUNTS challenge students’ math’s skills, develops their confidence and rewards them for their achievements. Our students excelled in the competition and were awarded an outstanding 2nd place in MATHCOUNTS for team A and the 5th place for team B. The school also had 5 of top 20 mathletes in Central America: Javier Arévalo (6th), Hyun Joon Sung (12th). Eric Assa (14th), Sabrina Tobar and Sebastián Montes (18th, both).
Here at Interamericano, we’re extremely proud of our Mathletes and wish them all the best. Congratulations Middle Schoolers!
posted February 08, 2014
Walter Flores, Elementary Art Teacher
The National Artist Week is one of the most anticipated annual events at Interamericano. During February, Elementary students get a much needed approach to local Art. Painting, Sculpture and Photography, these three disciplines were highlighted during the 2014 festivities, holding workshops and expositions with some of the most relevant artists in each field.
César Fortuny: a superb painter, recognized for capturing images of local birds, visited Interamericano from Monday, February 3, to Friday, February 7. He offered students the opportunity of seeing him in action. Although he is best known for his Quetzales, Fortuny painted a water-colored portrait of red winged cardinals and a colorful toucans. Pre kinder were thrilled to see a master at work.
Cesar Fortuny has helped out Interamericano’s “Semana del Artista Nacional” for several decade. He’s always a welcomed guest.
Sebastián Barrientos: famed Guatemalan sculptor came in and shared with students his versatile craft. Through a clay-filled workshop, Interamericano’s Kindergarten got a closer look at what it takes to give life to a sculpture.
Students relished at the idea of playing with clay, while Barrientos explained how sculpting made his life better.
Carol Sandoval: led an interactive acrylic paint seminar. During this time, first graders mixed colors to create beautiful flower-based paintings.
Participating artist got a signed certificate from Colegio Interamericano, thanking them for their help during this important event.
Erwin Guillermo: taught our third graders an important lesson in drawing portraits, human figures and compositions. Students were able to explore painting fruits and animals while the artist walked around and offered helpful tips.
Guillermo offered sage advice as students draw butterflies that are now displayed around Mr. Walter’s room.
José Carlos Flores: gave fourth graders an in-depth look through his internationally recognized lens. Flores, a professional photographer from National Geographic and author of ”Nazarenos de Guatemala” and “María en Guatemala,” allowed students to study his technique through pictures and a thought-provoking conference.
Flores allowed students to ask questions on some of his most relevant artistic accomplishments.
Byron Hernández: Well known for his sculpting and painting, showed Grade 5 how Guatemalan ancestors made pre-hispanic ceramic. This short workshop enabled students to take a trip to a time before digital technology, in which ceramics reigned supreme.
During the conference portion of his workshop, Hernández submerged students in the daily life of Mayan Culture, exploring the massive culture of the local heritage.
Likewise, second graders got a chance to make a magnificent floral collage with elementary art teacher, Walter Flores. This allowed students to get in closer contact with the nature that constantly surrounds us.
It was a particularly insightful week. From being visited by such renowned artists to getting to work with them, this will be a week no one will soon forget.
Jose Fuentes, Public Relations and Communications Coordinator
Our highly anticipated state-of-the-art soccer field is here! After several months of constant work and unforgiving rain, Colegio Interamericano is proud to present the first school-owned synthetic sports field in Guatemala. This accomplishment marks the culmination of the first phase of large construction projects scheduled for 2013. To commemorate, on Saturday September 21, Interamericano, in collaboration with the School Board and OPAI (Organizacion para Padres de Alumnos del Colegio Interamericano), offered a unique celebration, filled with professional level soccer, great music, delicious food and loads of fun.
Our High School soccer team athletes were the first to train and try-out our brand new Forbex field.
Activities started at 8 AM, with a short presentation from the marching band from Colegio los Infantes. Their reveting performance echoed through the new soccer field, where hundreds of visitors and athletes eagerly stood and tried out our new Argentine synthetic grass turf.
The marching band from Colegio Los Infantes did a great job, keeping perfect rhythmic percussion and discipline during their whole performance.
Carl Wieburg, our General Director, gave a few words on the importance of this date. He then proceeded to display some of the large scale constructions done in the last year and allowed the different level principals to unveil the completed buildings from their respective areas.
Mr. Weiburg gives the morning’s opening statement before revealing some the school’s large scale constructions.
Gregory Bellemare, our Elementary Principal, revealed pictures of the second floor addition to the primary area and the new child-safe floor matting at our Pre-Kinder section. Harvey Cohen, High School Principal, exhibited images from the new High School building addition and the six groundbreaking Art Classrooms, which will offer our ECA (Extra Curricular Activities) program much needed place for music and recreation.
Our High School principal was in charge of unveiling the school’s fully-equipped new Art Building.
Professional Guatemalan Soccer Player and International Sports Ambassador Dwight Pezzarossi dropped in to congratulate our school on the marvelous work being done in both academics and sports related endeavors. He insisted on the importance of a balance between a solid bilingual education and a healthy sports program to achieve greater level of success in years to come.
As an International Sport Ambassador, Dwight Pezzarossi gave a few words of advisement for upcoming athletes.
His words led way to the first pass and goal shot, executed majestically by two members from the school board and Foundation board, Mauricio Mishaan and José Augusto Toledo.
Maurio Mishaan retrieves the ball after Jose Toledo gave the first official goal shot.
With all formalities out of the way, the first soccer match took place: Colegio Interamericano vs the sub 17 division of Club Social y Deportivo Comunicaciones. The challange offered a interesting mixture of high level soccer and fierce competition. The end result was a crushing two point win for Colegio Interamericano.
Competition was tight during the match. Our athletes pulled through by keeping an upbeat attitude and having fun.
During intermission, our Sport’s department issued short sports challenges for visiting parents and athletes alike. These were redeemable for surprise soccer-related gifts, such as jerseys and training balls. Students and parents took to the games readily and made each challenge that much more enjoyable and fun.
As an added bonus, a breakdance crew was invited to perform between the two matches.
Our female soccer team faced-off against Colegio Virgen de la Asunción. Both teams gave it their all and were evenly matched during most of the game. The final score was another solid win for our school, this time with a 3 point lead.
The team from Colegio Virgen la Asunción put up a great match but Interamericano prevailed at the end.
We encourage our athletes keep the same level of sportsmanship and perseverance they demonstrated on Saturday, in upcoming matches. This was not a bad start for our school’s teams, which will soon host the prestigious AASCA 2014 soccer tournament. The aforementioned championship will be played on our new field and will demand the very best from us. If we maintain the current level of training and devotion to sports, we will rise to meet that challenge as well.
The Interamericano community was swept up last week in the Independence Day spirit as students, staff and parents worked tirelessly to give our Guatemala’s birthday a much deserved celebration. The entire Interamericano community came together for a series of celebrations and festivities from September 9-13.
Our students carried the school torch all the way from Obelisco and back to Interamericano. (Photo by: Maria Jimena Alemán)
Middle School hosted a unique competition in which students were encouraged to decorate their homeroom doors with Guatemalan culture motifs. The challenge was well met, as alumni worked around the clock to get their doors looking great. Some Middle School grade level moms happily helped out with the decorations as others participated as judges.
Students were encouraged to get reference inlines of what they wanted to do for the Middle School door contest.
The winners of this competition (Section C, grade 6; Section C, grade 7, and Section B, grade 8) won a pizza party during their lunch break on Thursday, September 19. Congratulations to all Middle School students on their beautiful homeroom doors!
A group made up of parents from several Middle School grades gave their intake on the doors’ decorations.
Our main Independence Day events started early Friday morning, with our annual “Mercadito.” On September 13, a parent-managed marketplace was installed on our plazoleta. The theme kept with Guatemalan culture, offering several traditional food options for all our student body.
OPAI members helped out during our Mercadito, serving found and selling items to the Interamericano community.
Some of our most distinguished athletes and staff volunteered to carry the customary torch from el Obelisco, in zone 10, and back to our school. This tradition is a remembrance from a time when Central America was united under one government and torches were light at a designated country and carried back to each town. Our representatives ran through the city early in the morning and arrived to the cheering crowds of our entire alumni already waiting for them at Interamericano’s new synthetic soccer field.
One of the last legs of the race was going up the school ramp, a challange students and volunteering staff completed with great determination.
Once there, a designated representative of our athletes lit the school’s independence pillar. The High School Student Council then preceded a series of activities, dedicated to honoring this important date. Their lead gave way to each of the day’s events.
Distinguished Interamericano athletes had the chance of lighting the pillar and proudly standi next to it during the school ceremony. (Photo by: Maria Jimena Alemán)
The national anthem was sung in unison by the whole student body and staff, in what was an intense and intimate moment with our great country. Grade 11 students reenacted the signing of the Guatemalan Independence through a short theatrical performance. The act merited a long round of applause, especially when the forefathers signed the act of independence and proclaimed it to the towns’ people.
The Grade 11 reenactment of the signing of the Guatemalan declaration of independence was a huge success in teaching younger students about this important date.
Once these activities were done, alumni and staff were free to drift into the Mercadito, where several of our students played marimba for all our visitors.
The Marimba, a traditional Guatemalan instrument, offered background music to our annual Mercadito.
The last of the day’s events was a civic assembly for the Elementary School. Here, our younger students had a chance to get in closer contact with Guatemalan traditions, learning about our history, customary marketplaces and local dance ceremonies.
A pretend costumary marketplace was set up in the cover court, allowing students to performe as if they sold goods to our visitors.
Several Guatemalan teachers dressed up in regional clothing and helped out in the assembly’s diverse cultural activities. Students were even given a chance to interview visitors on what independence meant to them, via a fake Interamericano television channel performance. To conclude the day’s activities, a traditional Torito was light in the covered-court and was cheered on by all the students and staff present.
Our Elementary art teacher, Walter Flores, dances to a traditional Guatemalan piece and helps our alumni get a better understanding of local civic ceremonies.
This was a great week for celebrating Guatemala’s birthday. Not only did students have a chance to dive into the school’s civic activities, but they took to it with pride and pleasure. Our staff gave their best, reinforcing the importance of the implicit values of this relevant date. And, parents collaborated in making this one of the most successful and fun Independence Day celebrations we’ve ever had.
No Guatemalan independence day ceremony would be complete without a colorful fireworks show. Our Torito, in this respect, was a huge success.
We start off this year with the first Open House for potencial students and parents. Come along and get to know our wide array of academic programs, our diverse Extra Curricular Activities platform and meet our friendly staff, in an morning specially planned for newcomers.
Tell all your friends! The invitation is open for interested locals and foreigners.
On Wednesday, September 10, Colegio Interamericano welcomed Maria Teresa Mendoza Estrada, an internationally recognized expert on bullying. Over 160 parents and teachers attended a special evening conference, to learn about some of the causes of bullying, how to identify bullying, prevention steps and much more.
The following day, Thursday, September 11, Mrs. Mendoza returned to Interamericano to give a special workshop for Interamericano staff members. Approximately 30 teachers, selected by their principals and counselors, representing the school’s three levels (Elementary, Middle School and High School), attended this special workshop in the afternoon. Here, teachers learned how to appropriately identify and address bullying situations in school, and brainstormed specific ideas to share what they learned with their colleagues and students.
María Teresa gave a riveting presentation to teachers and staff on working with students to avoid bullying at Interamericano.
Electronic versions of the presentations for parents and teachers can be accessed by clicking the links at the top of this article, and a list of specific prevention tips has also been provided.
This effort to educate our teachers and parents on specific issues such as bullying is one small part of a larger effort by Escuela para Padres (EPP), a division of our parent association OPAI. Escuela para Padres consists of volunteer parents, counselors, and administrators, and its purpose is to offer classes, conferences and workshops to educate the Interamericano community on relevant programs, issues and topics.
Teachers were free to ask questions and were encouraged to pose real world scenarios on the topic.
In addition to bullying, Escuela para Padres has already offered classes to parents on Renweb and Singapore Math, and has future classes scheduled on Study Habits, Addictions, Adolescence, Literacy by Design, iPads in Education, as well as, Summer Learning Ideas.
We would like to give a special thank you to the OPAI parents who made these seminars possible.
The annual list of topics was determined through a careful analysis of stakeholder opinion surveys and EPP has worked tirelessly to find the most qualified individuals to speak to our community. A full calendar of events can be downloaded by clicking the link at the top of this article.
Thank you to all of the parents and teachers that attended the bullying seminars these past two days, we hope to see even more parents and teachers at our next Escuela para Padres event!
More than 160 parents attended this last Tuesday’s conference.
Jose Fuentes, Communications and Public Relations Coordinator
Thirty six middle school students were sworn to membership in to the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) on Monday, September 9. As one of Interamericano’s proudest accomplishments this year, we sat down with our Middle School Academic Support Program Specialist, Eufronio Ballano Jr., who is also the school’s chapter adviser and two student members of our NHJS chapter, Najwa Alloud Godoy, Chapter President, and Carlos Alberto Quant, Publicityand Promotion Chairperson, to talk about the relevance of this outstanding achievement.
Chosen middle school students raised their hands and took the pledge to be a part of the prestigious National Junior Honor Society.
“You’re a role model to others, a student they need to see and follow. I want to be a student that represents caring, responsibility, fairness, I want to embody that example for others,” explained Alloud when asked about what it meant to be a part of the National Honor Society. Both Najwa and Carlos are in 8th Grade, their last year in Middle School, so they take special pride in heading the distinguished and elite student society.
Quant comments “Younger middle school students look up to us. We had a bake sale to raise funds for social projects and students were happy to help others while having a bite to eat. We got to organize and enable and it was much more gratifying. Grades are just a small part of it, being part of the National Honor Society is who you are at your core.”
The induction assembly took place in the school cafeteria, as witnessed by hundreds of Middle School students, parents, teachers and administrators.
Ballano makes the distinction saying “It’s not just about having good grades, I mean you could be in the Principal Honor Roll, keeping a grade average of 95 or above, but if you just focus on scholarship, there are other core values that are missed out”.
NJHS attempts to recognize and award those students that would best demonstrate all the key characteristics of truly outstanding human beings: Scholarship, Leadership, Service, Character and Citizenship.
This rigorous international program is also different from other student distinctions due to its unique selection process. “It is like being a Nobel Laureates. You cannot ask to be in the Honor Society, you become eligible throught your scholarship achievement and should be nominated by teachers and peers”, explains Ballano. In recent years, there had been maybe two or three nominees per classroom, but in 2013 the outcome was a welcomed surprise.
Ballano remembers, “When we checked the membership selection procedure, it said that the only requirement to be eligible of NJHS membership was to be in the Honor Roll and that ‘the rest of the values would follow per teacher evaluation.”
Honored students sit at the front of the assembly, where they support fellow NJHS members.
This motivation made students strive to be part of Interamericano’s NJHS chapter, having up to seventy-two eligible candidates for the prestigious award by August 2013. After the screening process, including a binder submission with documents proving the other four pillars of the society through the Middle School Alumni, thirty-six students were chosen to represent our school chapter and were inducted the ceremony last Monday.
On new members, Alloud comments “it’s going to be a great ride, NJHS will encourage them to be good and to stay good. They’ll help people outside of the school as well, with our diverse community service initiatives, and could makes entering High School a reachable academic achievement. Being part of NJHS is something they will be proud to embrace.”
For Quant, however, being a part of National Junior Honor Society also means “a chance to help out in one’s social life, when a bad deed comes along, being a member makes you reflect about your privileged position in Interamericano and in our society. And although temptation will always be around, there is a higher calling here you can’t easily ignore”.
National Honor Society Assemblies are guided by a strict protocol of respect and acknowledgement.
There is a certain mystique around The National Junior Honor Society: The lighting of candles, the elegant personalized bands and the ceremonial assemblies. On this, Ballano admits “We’ve gone to great efforts to make the National Junior Honor Society assemblies more appealing to Middle School students. This year you could see they were mesmerized; getting them more and more involved in what should be an activity for and by them.”
Some examples of these changes: a former Middle School Student, and past president of NJHS, Daniela María Ortiz Molina, delivered the closing speech, a privilege that use to be reserved for the level Principal. Costumized NJHS bands were ordered and genuine NJHS excellence medals were bought and shipped down from the United States, to award students as a memento they could be proud of and take all the way through High School and beyond.
“This society is an avenue to find a career path, it encompasses everything. The National Junior Honor Society is doing right by yourself and others, having the audacity to look forward and work for a brighter future at a very young age”, says Ballano.
For those to come, Quant recommends “Middle School is a stepping stone to High School and College. If any new Middle School student asked me what I think is one thing they should achieve in their time at Inter, NJHS would be it.” As for Alloud, she enjoins upcoming elementary students to remember “This is the moment to choose to be more mature, respectable, to have fun but strive for much more of who you want to be. It’s a big sacrifice but the rewards are worth it, the National Junior Honor Society becomes one of the things would you most like about yourself.”
Interamericano’s National Junior Honor Society core members for the 2013-2014 school period.
On Monday September 9, we had our second K, 1, 2 assembly. Our main focus this time was recognizing outstanding values amongst our students, during last year’s final school quarter. “Fairness”, however, was this week’s core value and the one we awarded students for upholding during the 2012-2013 period.
The assembly started with our flag bearers entering the assembly from section 2B. Doing a fantastic job of carrying the Guatemalan flag, Francesca Romano preceded the procession, followed by Maria José Mancilla, caring United States flag and Luis Barba bringing up the rear, with the Colegio Interamericano flag proudly in his hands.
The National Anthem was led by Maty Catu and Lidia Pop and sung by the whole student body present. Daniela Huschke recited and headed the Pledge of Allegiance, helping keep with citizenship, another core pillar of character, present during the assembly.
Students are encouraged to proudly sing the national anthem at each at assembly.
Mr. Bellemare took some time to explain what kind of scholastic attitudes best exemplifies “Fairness”. A student who is fair in everything they do commands respect and is often well-liked by those around him or her. All of the award winners received certificates, signed the Values Poster and had a group picture taken to be put up in the hallway.
The signed Fairness poster in the main hallway will help remind our whole alumni about this key value in their everyday activities.
Elementary K, 1,2 were then reminded of the “Grizzly Award”, a prestigious distinction given to the group that displays the best behavior and attention when coming in, participating and leaving the assembly. Miss Ward’s class had the Award with them from their earning it the previous assembly.
Before heading back to class, the school anthem was sung. This is the third successful Elementary assembly we had this year and we couldn’t be prouder of the school spirit felt with each passing week.
The exit of the flags is an important part of cultivating patience, citizenship and following protocol.
Students who received Fairness awards were:
Kinder
Mario Alejandro Montenegro Ramirez, Jorge Andrés Santos Sazo, Melissa Castillo Gonzalez and
Ludwika Villaseñor Haase.
Grade 1
Ximena Leiva Espino, Sebastián Morales Castillo, Jeremiah Oliveros Aguilar, Ana Isabel Andrade Eggenberger and Christian Quan Pascual.
Grade 2
Sebastián Azurdia Guerra, Leah Ramirez Garcia, Luis Alejandro Barba Anduquia, Frida Remis Duarte and Fabián Arévalo Orellana.
Our accomplished 2012-2013 award winners take a well deserved group picture with Mr. Bellemare and their peers.
