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Month: June 2020

End of year message

Dear Ashton Family,

We say goodbye to the 2019-2020 school year with gratitude for the many positive experiences we had and for being sustained through the challenges. Thank you to all of you as well for exemplifying the home/school relationship for the well being of our children.

To those few families who are leaving us this year, we extend our best wishes and God’s blessings upon you wherever He leads you.  We know that several of you are relocating overseas.  Whether you are staying in country or going abroad, we certainly hope that your children will take Ashton inspired minds and transformed hearts to serve them well in their new learning and living environments.

For those registered families who will be with us in August, we happily announce our Gator Summer Series. While we certainly encourage you to give your children plenty of opportunities to stay away from the screen and get outdoors observing safety protocols, we also want to give them the opportunity to stay connected with some of our amazing teachers who will volunteer some of their summer hours, bringing this to you at no additional cost.  We will send you the private link in the coming days, but here is a preview:

  • Pk-4th graders will find Ashton teachers doing read alouds of some of their favorite books. Look for surprise readers who are Ashton teachers that you might not even know!
  • 3rd-6thgraders: will be able to check in with Mr. Sanquintin for Coding  lessons under a very fun game: Scratch
  • For Middle School and High School students the offer will include math workshops, social studies themed gatherings, professional make-up drama courses parallel to drama lessons to develop characters in theater. A Photoshop introductory course was also added to the offer for the upper grades.
  • Gator Gatherings have flourished online and will continue with Mr. Henriquez over the summer.

While the situation with this virus is evolving and changes may come our way in the coming weeks, as of now we ask that you note the following dates in your agendas:

  • August 19th: Virtual Orientation for New Families
  • August 20th: Virtual Back to School Night
  • August 21st: Virtual meet and greet with your child’s Homeroom/Advisory  teacher.  Sign up times will be provided similar to the parent/teacher conferences format.
  • August 24th:  First day of school, face-to-face and virtual depending  on grade levels.  Details will be provided in August.

We are very pleased to have received positive feedback about the Trusting and Planning Forward Guide, as we are for the contributions from parents and students during the meetings and Town Halls that we have had.  In response to a parent suggestion, in August we will be preparing short, informal videos to share with parents and students regarding important protocols so that by the first day of school, students are more informed.

We wish you all a restful and healthy summer break and pray that we will be able to unite in August as planned.  Stay connected with us on our webpage, Instagram and Delegates Chat groups.

God bless you!

Mrs. Gygax

End of year message

Dear Ashton Family,

We say goodbye to the 2019-2020 school year with gratitude for the many positive experiences we had and for being sustained through the challenges. Thank you to all of you as well for exemplifying the home/school relationship for the well being of our children.

To those few families who are leaving us this year, we extend our best wishes and God’s blessings upon you wherever He leads you.  We know that several of you are relocating overseas.  Whether you are staying in country or going abroad, we certainly hope that your children will take Ashton inspired minds and transformed hearts to serve them well in their new learning and living environments.

For those registered families who will be with us in August, we happily announce our Gator Summer Series. While we certainly encourage you to give your children plenty of opportunities to stay away from the screen and get outdoors observing safety protocols, we also want to give them the opportunity to stay connected with some of our amazing teachers who will volunteer some of their summer hours, bringing this to you at no additional cost.  We will send you the private link in the coming days, but here is a preview:

  • Pk-4th graders will find Ashton teachers doing read alouds of some of their favorite books. Look for surprise readers who are Ashton teachers that you might not even know!
  • 3rd-6thgraders: will be able to check in with Mr. Sanquintin for Coding  lessons under a very fun game: Scratch
  • For Middle School and High School students the offer will include math workshops, social studies themed gatherings, professional make-up drama courses parallel to drama lessons to develop characters in theater. A Photoshop introductory course was also added to the offer for the upper grades.
  • Gator Gatherings have flourished online and will continue with Mr. Henriquez over the summer.

While the situation with this virus is evolving and changes may come our way in the coming weeks, as of now we ask that you note the following dates in your agendas:

  • August 19th: Virtual Orientation for New Families
  • August 20th: Virtual Back to School Night
  • August 21st: Virtual meet and greet with your child’s Homeroom/Advisory  teacher.  Sign up times will be provided similar to the parent/teacher conferences format.
  • August 24th:  First day of school, face-to-face and virtual depending  on grade levels.  Details will be provided in August.

We are very pleased to have received positive feedback about the Trusting and Planning Forward Guide, as we are for the contributions from parents and students during the meetings and Town Halls that we have had.  In response to a parent suggestion, in August we will be preparing short, informal videos to share with parents and students regarding important protocols so that by the first day of school, students are more informed.

We wish you all a restful and healthy summer break and pray that we will be able to unite in August as planned.  Stay connected with us on our webpage, Instagram and Delegates Chat groups.

God bless you!

Mrs. Gygax

Overview of the COVID-19 Pandemic and its impact in Ashton School

The English version of this article is contained in the Trusting and Planning Guide.

 

El mundo ha experimentado la pandemia más grave que se haya visto en décadas. Si bien ha habido dolor y pérdida en todo el mundo, esta crisis también nos ha brindado oportunidades para impulsar los programas educativos hacia una “nueva normalidad” en beneficio de nuestros preciosos estudiantes. Tenemos y estamos pasando por esta crisis en tres fases: El rescate, El puente y La nueva normalidad.

El rescate: El Ashton School ha demostrado que somos una familia unida que puede enfrentar desafíos juntos. Desde el inicio de la crisis de COVID-19 en nuestro país, hemos estado planificando y activando sistemas de aprendizaje a distancia para continuar brindando instrucción de calidad a nuestros estudiantes. Esto ha incluido el alcance a los estudiantes que pueden haber necesitado un apoyo especial, abordando las necesidades emocionales y la comunicación con nuestra comunidad de padres. Esta fase abarcó los meses de marzo hasta el presente.

El puente: Al mismo tiempo, hemos estado confiando y planificando con miras al futuro, ya que esperamos con entusiasmo poder reunirnos mientras tomamos medidas concertadas para proteger a nuestra comunidad escolar de la mejor manera a nuestro alcance. Reconocemos que esto solo se puede hacer con la plena cooperación de nuestros padres y estudiantes, y confiamos en que trabajaremos juntos en este esfuerzo crucial.

Las encuestas, las llamadas personalizadas y las reuniones virtuales que llamamos “Town Hall” fueron algunos de los métodos que utilizamos para hacer todo lo posible para pensar en abrir nuestras puertas el 24 de agosto, si las condiciones de salud en el país lo permiten.

Esta fase abarca el presente, y posiblemente incluya una parte del año escolar 2020-2021. La seguridad será nuestra principal preocupación junto con la enseñanza y el aprendizaje.

La nueva normalidad: su retroalimentación, nuestras experiencias y nuevos aprendizajes deben dar como resultado servicios de mejor calidad para nuestros estudiantes.

Nuestro colegio se basa en la seguridad de que Dios tiene el control y, por lo tanto, confiamos plenamente en que Él usará esta experiencia para un propósito especial en cada una de nuestras vidas. Con esa confianza, hemos estado y seguiremos planificando hacia un marco mejorado de enseñanza y aprendizaje.

A pesar de los desafíos, nuestros maestros y administradores han encontrado resultados positivos a través de esta experiencia y algunos de esos hallazgos pueden y deben formar parte de nuestros servicios educativos. Esto formará parte de la planificación a futuro.

Overview of the COVID-19 Pandemic and its impact in Ashton School

The English version of this article is contained in the Trusting and Planning Guide.

 

El mundo ha experimentado la pandemia más grave que se haya visto en décadas. Si bien ha habido dolor y pérdida en todo el mundo, esta crisis también nos ha brindado oportunidades para impulsar los programas educativos hacia una “nueva normalidad” en beneficio de nuestros preciosos estudiantes. Tenemos y estamos pasando por esta crisis en tres fases: El rescate, El puente y La nueva normalidad.

El rescate: El Ashton School ha demostrado que somos una familia unida que puede enfrentar desafíos juntos. Desde el inicio de la crisis de COVID-19 en nuestro país, hemos estado planificando y activando sistemas de aprendizaje a distancia para continuar brindando instrucción de calidad a nuestros estudiantes. Esto ha incluido el alcance a los estudiantes que pueden haber necesitado un apoyo especial, abordando las necesidades emocionales y la comunicación con nuestra comunidad de padres. Esta fase abarcó los meses de marzo hasta el presente.

El puente: Al mismo tiempo, hemos estado confiando y planificando con miras al futuro, ya que esperamos con entusiasmo poder reunirnos mientras tomamos medidas concertadas para proteger a nuestra comunidad escolar de la mejor manera a nuestro alcance. Reconocemos que esto solo se puede hacer con la plena cooperación de nuestros padres y estudiantes, y confiamos en que trabajaremos juntos en este esfuerzo crucial.

Las encuestas, las llamadas personalizadas y las reuniones virtuales que llamamos “Town Hall” fueron algunos de los métodos que utilizamos para hacer todo lo posible para pensar en abrir nuestras puertas el 24 de agosto, si las condiciones de salud en el país lo permiten.

Esta fase abarca el presente, y posiblemente incluya una parte del año escolar 2020-2021. La seguridad será nuestra principal preocupación junto con la enseñanza y el aprendizaje.

La nueva normalidad: su retroalimentación, nuestras experiencias y nuevos aprendizajes deben dar como resultado servicios de mejor calidad para nuestros estudiantes.

Nuestro colegio se basa en la seguridad de que Dios tiene el control y, por lo tanto, confiamos plenamente en que Él usará esta experiencia para un propósito especial en cada una de nuestras vidas. Con esa confianza, hemos estado y seguiremos planificando hacia un marco mejorado de enseñanza y aprendizaje.

A pesar de los desafíos, nuestros maestros y administradores han encontrado resultados positivos a través de esta experiencia y algunos de esos hallazgos pueden y deben formar parte de nuestros servicios educativos. Esto formará parte de la planificación a futuro.

Trusting and Planning Guide 2020-2021 has been released

Dear Ashton Family,

As we have announced in past meetings and weekly news mails, our Emergency Committee has been putting together a Guide that collects the school’s consideration for the next school year.

This document results from the committee’s work along with subcommittees created. These subcommittees incorporated staff members contribution as well as representatives from parents and the student body. We reiterate our gratitude for your quick response to the surveys. forms and zoom calls that helped us develop a document to guide us through the different scenarios we may face to open the next school year.

You may request access to the document in English by clicking the button below.

We remind you this is a living and evolving document, this is version 1.0! And we are very excited to announce that as of today we would be in a position to receive all students on campus grades Pk-6th in August. Our classrooms and facilities allow for the space to have the distance currently required. For grades 7th-12th the guide provides the details that would apply.

We expect that as the date for re-entry approaches, the circumstances in our nation greatly improve in terms of the data currently shared in relation to the number of COVID-19 contagions. We will be updating and sharing with the Ashton Family any changes to this document.

We ask that you maintain notifications active to our web page posts and Instagram account posts as well. They represent your preferred channel of communication. We will also maintain the weekly news service to inform you the procedures for the purchase of school uniforms, books and materials obtained traditionally from our Gator Shop.

Hoping this news encourages you to keep praying for our family. May we be wise in the decisions required to continue inspiring your children’s minds and working on the transformation of their hearts.

Please keep safe and enjoy the summer vacation!

Trusting and Planning Guide 2020-2021 has been released

Dear Ashton Family,

As we have announced in past meetings and weekly news mails, our Emergency Committee has been putting together a Guide that collects the school’s consideration for the next school year.

This document results from the committee’s work along with subcommittees created. These subcommittees incorporated staff members contribution as well as representatives from parents and the student body. We reiterate our gratitude for your quick response to the surveys. forms and zoom calls that helped us develop a document to guide us through the different scenarios we may face to open the next school year.

You may request access to the document in English by clicking the button below.

We remind you this is a living and evolving document, this is version 1.0! And we are very excited to announce that as of today we would be in a position to receive all students on campus grades Pk-6th in August. Our classrooms and facilities allow for the space to have the distance currently required. For grades 7th-12th the guide provides the details that would apply.

We expect that as the date for re-entry approaches, the circumstances in our nation greatly improve in terms of the data currently shared in relation to the number of COVID-19 contagions. We will be updating and sharing with the Ashton Family any changes to this document.

We ask that you maintain notifications active to our web page posts and Instagram account posts as well. They represent your preferred channel of communication. We will also maintain the weekly news service to inform you the procedures for the purchase of school uniforms, books and materials obtained traditionally from our Gator Shop.

Hoping this news encourages you to keep praying for our family. May we be wise in the decisions required to continue inspiring your children’s minds and working on the transformation of their hearts.

Please keep safe and enjoy the summer vacation!

Final Grades SPTC is on June 23rd – Sign up here!

Final Grades SPTC is on June 23rd – Sign up here!

Celebrating Dicentia 2020

Celebrating Dicentia 2020

Kinder Graduation – Celebrating with our stars!

Kinder Graduation – Celebrating with our stars!

Cross-Stitching/Crochet Elective – Electiva de punto de cruz y crochet

High School students completed the Elective projects for Semester 2 with the drafting of a short paragraph reflecting on the experience of cross-stitching and crocheting.

This proved to be a very useful tool to develop one essential virtue specially under current circumstances: PATIENCE!

This class was taught in Spanish this semester. Here the students thoughts:

“La clase de cross-stitch me pareció muy interesante, dinámica e independiente. Aprendí mucho, desde los puntos más básicos hasta puntos mayores y complejos. La clase me parece muy interactiva, hay una relación estudiante-profesor, relacion estudiante-estudiante de diferentes grados. Lo único que puede mejorar la clase, es darle mas tiempo, 55 minutos no son suficientes. Estoy muy agradecida de que Ms. Viera fuera nuestra profesora de esta materia💘🤩”

Crochet Hat completed as well

“La clase de electiva de este semestre la verdad que fue genial. Yo no soy una persona muy creativa y tengo muy poca paciencia y Cross Stitching me ayudó mucho en eso. Para poder mejorar en muchas cosas hay que tomar riesgos y salir de nuestras zonas de comfort. Al escoger esta electiva la verdad que salí de mi zona de comfort pero todo valió la pena. Aprendí muchas cosas principalmente puntos básicos para luego poder desarrollar mis propios proyectos más adelante. Mi parte favorita fue al final cuando tuve que escribir me nombre porque no tenia el hilo totalmente adecuado y ya estábamos en cuarentena por eso fue un gran reto pero me salió mucho mejor de lo que esperaba. Creo que para una próxima ocasión sería mejor que como estudiantes compremos nuestro propio hilo y aguja porque si se presenta una situación donde no tenemos a nuestra profesora que nos provea esto, tengamos nuestros propios materiales. La verdad que Cross Stitching es un arte, te ayuda a practicar la paciencia y desarrollar tu creatividad. Le recomiendo esta electiva a cualquier persona. Les prometo que vale la pena.” – Laura Vásquez

“Cross stitching no era algo que tenía en mente aprender este año pero a último minuto decidí dar un rápido cambio de electiva. Esta fue indudablemente la mejor decisión que pude hacer ya que esta materia me enseñó sobre la paciencia y como la primera vez que intentes algo las cosas no te van a salir bien.” – Maria José Brea (9th grade)

“Al terminar la Electiva de Cross-Stich/Crochet, recordé que nunca es muy tarde para aprender algo nuevo. Gracias Miss por enseñarme algo con que distraerme y divertirme. Me encantó esta Electiva!” – Mia Peralta (10th grade)

Cross-Stitching/Crochet Elective – Electiva de punto de cruz y crochet

High School students completed the Elective projects for Semester 2 with the drafting of a short paragraph reflecting on the experience of cross-stitching and crocheting.

This proved to be a very useful tool to develop one essential virtue specially under current circumstances: PATIENCE!

This class was taught in Spanish this semester. Here the students thoughts:

“La clase de cross-stitch me pareció muy interesante, dinámica e independiente. Aprendí mucho, desde los puntos más básicos hasta puntos mayores y complejos. La clase me parece muy interactiva, hay una relación estudiante-profesor, relacion estudiante-estudiante de diferentes grados. Lo único que puede mejorar la clase, es darle mas tiempo, 55 minutos no son suficientes. Estoy muy agradecida de que Ms. Viera fuera nuestra profesora de esta materia💘🤩”

Crochet Hat completed as well

“La clase de electiva de este semestre la verdad que fue genial. Yo no soy una persona muy creativa y tengo muy poca paciencia y Cross Stitching me ayudó mucho en eso. Para poder mejorar en muchas cosas hay que tomar riesgos y salir de nuestras zonas de comfort. Al escoger esta electiva la verdad que salí de mi zona de comfort pero todo valió la pena. Aprendí muchas cosas principalmente puntos básicos para luego poder desarrollar mis propios proyectos más adelante. Mi parte favorita fue al final cuando tuve que escribir me nombre porque no tenia el hilo totalmente adecuado y ya estábamos en cuarentena por eso fue un gran reto pero me salió mucho mejor de lo que esperaba. Creo que para una próxima ocasión sería mejor que como estudiantes compremos nuestro propio hilo y aguja porque si se presenta una situación donde no tenemos a nuestra profesora que nos provea esto, tengamos nuestros propios materiales. La verdad que Cross Stitching es un arte, te ayuda a practicar la paciencia y desarrollar tu creatividad. Le recomiendo esta electiva a cualquier persona. Les prometo que vale la pena.” – Laura Vásquez

“Cross stitching no era algo que tenía en mente aprender este año pero a último minuto decidí dar un rápido cambio de electiva. Esta fue indudablemente la mejor decisión que pude hacer ya que esta materia me enseñó sobre la paciencia y como la primera vez que intentes algo las cosas no te van a salir bien.” – Maria José Brea (9th grade)

“Al terminar la Electiva de Cross-Stich/Crochet, recordé que nunca es muy tarde para aprender algo nuevo. Gracias Miss por enseñarme algo con que distraerme y divertirme. Me encantó esta Electiva!” – Mia Peralta (10th grade)

Piantini Campus Opens

Our campus is now open to serve our Ashton family in terms of Administrative Services and for Admissions visits.

We will be operating under a modified schedule: 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

How to access school grounds and what to expect?

 

Temperature check will be taken before access to the Reception.

Visitors requesting Tours to the school premises will be asked to fill a Form.

Physical distance is to be observed at all time.

 

Do I need to schedule an appointment?

We strongly advise that appointments are coordinated ahead in order to serve the community better.

Appointments may be coordinated by calling 809-562-0891 (Receptionist will direct the call) or you may write an email:

Registrar: eregistrar@tas.edu.do

Admissions: admissions@ashtonschool.edu.do

General Information: ashton@tas.edu.do

Piantini Campus Opens

Our campus is now open to serve our Ashton family in terms of Administrative Services and for Admissions visits.

We will be operating under a modified schedule: 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

How to access school grounds and what to expect?

 

Temperature check will be taken before access to the Reception.

Visitors requesting Tours to the school premises will be asked to fill a Form.

Physical distance is to be observed at all time.

 

Do I need to schedule an appointment?

We strongly advise that appointments are coordinated ahead in order to serve the community better.

Appointments may be coordinated by calling 809-562-0891 (Receptionist will direct the call) or you may write an email:

Registrar: eregistrar@tas.edu.do

Admissions: admissions@ashtonschool.edu.do

General Information: ashton@tas.edu.do

Mother’s Day activities

With Mother’s Day coming up in the midst of a global pandemic, Ashton’s Elementary students were unable to carry out their usual Mother’s Day activities like they do every year. But being quarantined did not stop these students from showing the immense love and appreciation they feel for their mothers. This year, elementary students along with their respective advisors united their creative ideas and brainstormed different activities to carry out on Mother’s Day. The following are descriptions of each activity that took place on Mother’s Day.

 

1st Grade

The First graders activity took place on May 28th. They hosted a video conference with their mothers and teachers in which they sang a song titled “Todo lo que tengo es tuyo” (Everything I have is yours) by Juan Luis Guerra, which was later recorded and edited into a video. Alongside this beautiful gift, each of the students also made a card for their mothers saying how they feel about them, these cards were given out during the scheduled video conference.

 

2nd Grade

During the school year, second graders have been working on a Reader’s and Writer’s workshop, which helped them develop the skills they needed to execute this Mother’s Day activity in the best way possible. Students were asked to write different things they like about their mothers, such as different aspects of their cooking, something special they think their mother does, their favorite thing to do with their mother, etc. With the help of teachers, the students joined together as a group and also wrote a poem for their mothers where each student read a part of it and the recording of each student was compiled into a video with the entire poem being recited, which was shared with the mothers on May 31st. This activity is meant to be similar to what they could have done had they been together in school, and it also symbolizes that despite the fact that the students are separated physically they can still work as a team and create something beautiful.

 

3rd Grade

Considering how difficult it can be to carry out a traditional arts and crafts project or rehearse for some kind of performance or  presentation without mothers noticing at home, the third graders celebrated Mother’s Day by doing a variety of things, these being: 

 

  1. A video of students being interviewed about their mothers:

 

Students were asked a few questions about their mothers, they answered as we recorded each student separately through individual conference calls. These clips of each student were compiled together into a video.

 

  1. A“mom review” poem was written:

 

Students wrote  a “review” explaining how/why their mothers are the best mothers, and why they would “recommend” their mothers as the best moms ever, this gives the typical love letter an interesting twist! These reviews were handwritten and decorated as students worked with the materials they had available at home.

 

On the day of the presentation:

 

A zoom meeting was hosted with all of the third-grade mothers (both 3rdA and 3rdB) and all of the students, in which they first presented the video and then allowed the students to give their mothers the letters. This project was meant to showcase the children’s most tender and heartfelt answers and thoughts regarding their moms and their love for them, surely making not only the children appreciate them even more, but also making all mothers feel the joy and satisfaction that the wonderful gift of being a mother brings.

 

4th Grade:

Fourth graders worked on a digital storybook for their mothers using an app called StoryJumper, where they had the creative freedom of choosing the title of the storybook and the text structure they wanted to use. On May 31st They showcased their creations to their mothers during different times of the day.

 

5th Grade

Students from the fifth-grade class came together and created a video for their mothers, each student wrote a personalized letter to his or her mom.

 

6th Grade

Sixth graders made handwritten cards for their mothers showcasing their love for them. Along with that, some of the students decided to take the Mother’s Day activity to the next level and collaborated with their fathers to plan a special brunch as a surprise for their mothers.

By: Lia Gonzalez

High School Junior Class

Mother’s Day activities

With Mother’s Day coming up in the midst of a global pandemic, Ashton’s Elementary students were unable to carry out their usual Mother’s Day activities like they do every year. But being quarantined did not stop these students from showing the immense love and appreciation they feel for their mothers. This year, elementary students along with their respective advisors united their creative ideas and brainstormed different activities to carry out on Mother’s Day. The following are descriptions of each activity that took place on Mother’s Day.

 

1st Grade

The First graders activity took place on May 28th. They hosted a video conference with their mothers and teachers in which they sang a song titled “Todo lo que tengo es tuyo” (Everything I have is yours) by Juan Luis Guerra, which was later recorded and edited into a video. Alongside this beautiful gift, each of the students also made a card for their mothers saying how they feel about them, these cards were given out during the scheduled video conference.

 

2nd Grade

During the school year, second graders have been working on a Reader’s and Writer’s workshop, which helped them develop the skills they needed to execute this Mother’s Day activity in the best way possible. Students were asked to write different things they like about their mothers, such as different aspects of their cooking, something special they think their mother does, their favorite thing to do with their mother, etc. With the help of teachers, the students joined together as a group and also wrote a poem for their mothers where each student read a part of it and the recording of each student was compiled into a video with the entire poem being recited, which was shared with the mothers on May 31st. This activity is meant to be similar to what they could have done had they been together in school, and it also symbolizes that despite the fact that the students are separated physically they can still work as a team and create something beautiful.

 

3rd Grade

Considering how difficult it can be to carry out a traditional arts and crafts project or rehearse for some kind of performance or  presentation without mothers noticing at home, the third graders celebrated Mother’s Day by doing a variety of things, these being: 

 

  1. A video of students being interviewed about their mothers:

 

Students were asked a few questions about their mothers, they answered as we recorded each student separately through individual conference calls. These clips of each student were compiled together into a video.

 

  1. A“mom review” poem was written:

 

Students wrote  a “review” explaining how/why their mothers are the best mothers, and why they would “recommend” their mothers as the best moms ever, this gives the typical love letter an interesting twist! These reviews were handwritten and decorated as students worked with the materials they had available at home.

 

On the day of the presentation:

 

A zoom meeting was hosted with all of the third-grade mothers (both 3rdA and 3rdB) and all of the students, in which they first presented the video and then allowed the students to give their mothers the letters. This project was meant to showcase the children’s most tender and heartfelt answers and thoughts regarding their moms and their love for them, surely making not only the children appreciate them even more, but also making all mothers feel the joy and satisfaction that the wonderful gift of being a mother brings.

 

4th Grade:

Fourth graders worked on a digital storybook for their mothers using an app called StoryJumper, where they had the creative freedom of choosing the title of the storybook and the text structure they wanted to use. On May 31st They showcased their creations to their mothers during different times of the day.

 

5th Grade

Students from the fifth-grade class came together and created a video for their mothers, each student wrote a personalized letter to his or her mom.

 

6th Grade

Sixth graders made handwritten cards for their mothers showcasing their love for them. Along with that, some of the students decided to take the Mother’s Day activity to the next level and collaborated with their fathers to plan a special brunch as a surprise for their mothers.

By: Lia Gonzalez

High School Junior Class

Mr. Pina & The Chess Club

We have seen many school activities canceled due to Covid-19, yet in spite of the situation, there is a chess team that is currently training. Mr. Pina, the coach of this great team at our school has agreed to answer the questions for an interview that will bring us closer to this club.

What is your role in our school?
“My roles at school include being the librarian, librarian teacher, and chess teacher, but, this year in addition to my librarian skills, I have been supporting the Spanish and the History classes.”

How many years have you been teaching chess class?
“Well, my experience with chess comes from many years ago, long before The Ashton School, I started with the idea of chess at another school. Afterward, I went to work at St. George’s School where I spent around 6 months there deepening my knowledge of chess. On my first day at The Ashton School 5 years ago, I presented the program to Mr. Pelaez and Mr. Mora and they liked and encourage me to move forward with the idea. Next school year (2020-2021), will be my 6th year teaching chess.”

Are you giving classes during quarantine?
“At the beginning of the quarantine, I made a proposal to the parents to extend our chess time. They instantly agreed that students should meet daily including Saturdays and Sundays. One hour a day we are online, and we play through an application called lichess.org where we have a team for students of all ages.”

How many students do you have right now?
There are 22 members in the group now.

Which days do you give your classes and how often?
Well, every day from 5 to 6 in the afternoon. The classes are from Monday to Sunday. For the past two weeks, students have had other projects that prevented the weekend games.

What kind of exercises do you give your students?
We make thematic openings. Every day something different is done and in this way, the students learned what openness is and the different types of defense that exist and etc.

Do you keep communication with other schools that give chess classes?
Yes, we had a competition with the American School. We won all of the games. We also played against the Iberia School and we also won. We have maintained communication with chess academies. In fact, I just received an invitation to an international online contest, thanks to the results obtained by the kids in other competitions, I also communicated with my regular colleagues from other schools such as New Horizons, The Luis Muñoz Rivera School and others.

Are you planning on or are you currently doing a chess competition for your students and how?
Every day we have meetings where everyone can compete, I also include myself to be part of the challenge and every day everyone has the opportunity to take first, second, and third place. We have been competing every day even with invited students from other graduating classes.

Which challenges have you faced giving classes during quarantine?
Among the challenges I have encountered, one has been to find a friendly platform that is easy for different age students, and that also has enough resources and is affordable or free, to avoid extra costs for families. In this case, we found lichess.org and then manage to motivate students to go online every day to meet at a specific time and not to be late.

Who inspired you to be a chess teacher?
The inspiration I had to be a chess teacher was my own life. When I was very young, I learned to practice chess and it was very useful for me because it allowed me to study and to do any type of work I dedicated myself to. By knowing the benefits chess has, I took advantage of the space in the school library and in this way, I mixed reading with chess and made the library a much more attractive space for students. These were the main reasons.

Author’s take away from this interview

I would take chess classes and follow Mr. Pina’s advice for a better concentration in my future job. Thank you  Mr. Pina for making this interview possible and thank you for your time teaching the students during this quarantine. 

Mr. Pina & The Chess Club

We have seen many school activities canceled due to Covid-19, yet in spite of the situation, there is a chess team that is currently training. Mr. Pina, the coach of this great team at our school has agreed to answer the questions for an interview that will bring us closer to this club.

What is your role in our school?
“My roles at school include being the librarian, librarian teacher, and chess teacher, but, this year in addition to my librarian skills, I have been supporting the Spanish and the History classes.”

How many years have you been teaching chess class?
“Well, my experience with chess comes from many years ago, long before The Ashton School, I started with the idea of chess at another school. Afterward, I went to work at St. George’s School where I spent around 6 months there deepening my knowledge of chess. On my first day at The Ashton School 5 years ago, I presented the program to Mr. Pelaez and Mr. Mora and they liked and encourage me to move forward with the idea. Next school year (2020-2021), will be my 6th year teaching chess.”

Are you giving classes during quarantine?
“At the beginning of the quarantine, I made a proposal to the parents to extend our chess time. They instantly agreed that students should meet daily including Saturdays and Sundays. One hour a day we are online, and we play through an application called lichess.org where we have a team for students of all ages.”

How many students do you have right now?
There are 22 members in the group now.

Which days do you give your classes and how often?
Well, every day from 5 to 6 in the afternoon. The classes are from Monday to Sunday. For the past two weeks, students have had other projects that prevented the weekend games.

What kind of exercises do you give your students?
We make thematic openings. Every day something different is done and in this way, the students learned what openness is and the different types of defense that exist and etc.

Do you keep communication with other schools that give chess classes?
Yes, we had a competition with the American School. We won all of the games. We also played against the Iberia School and we also won. We have maintained communication with chess academies. In fact, I just received an invitation to an international online contest, thanks to the results obtained by the kids in other competitions, I also communicated with my regular colleagues from other schools such as New Horizons, The Luis Muñoz Rivera School and others.

Are you planning on or are you currently doing a chess competition for your students and how?
Every day we have meetings where everyone can compete, I also include myself to be part of the challenge and every day everyone has the opportunity to take first, second, and third place. We have been competing every day even with invited students from other graduating classes.

Which challenges have you faced giving classes during quarantine?
Among the challenges I have encountered, one has been to find a friendly platform that is easy for different age students, and that also has enough resources and is affordable or free, to avoid extra costs for families. In this case, we found lichess.org and then manage to motivate students to go online every day to meet at a specific time and not to be late.

Who inspired you to be a chess teacher?
The inspiration I had to be a chess teacher was my own life. When I was very young, I learned to practice chess and it was very useful for me because it allowed me to study and to do any type of work I dedicated myself to. By knowing the benefits chess has, I took advantage of the space in the school library and in this way, I mixed reading with chess and made the library a much more attractive space for students. These were the main reasons.

Author’s take away from this interview

I would take chess classes and follow Mr. Pina’s advice for a better concentration in my future job. Thank you  Mr. Pina for making this interview possible and thank you for your time teaching the students during this quarantine. 

Alumni talks about the pandemic and gives advice to our Seniors

These times have been really rough and challenging but we need to stick to it and as we go through the process make adjustments to be able to continue with our lives. Jean Marco Pou, a past student from The Ashton School, currently studying in Unibe, shares his experience on the pandemic during his last year of college, which we hope may help our seniors in some way. It has been hard, but not impossible to deal with. (more…)

Alumni talks about the pandemic and gives advice to our Seniors

These times have been really rough and challenging but we need to stick to it and as we go through the process make adjustments to be able to continue with our lives. Jean Marco Pou, a past student from The Ashton School, currently studying in Unibe, shares his experience on the pandemic during his last year of college, which we hope may help our seniors in some way. It has been hard, but not impossible to deal with. (more…)

Planning for Reuniting in 2020-2021

On a weekly basis the school’s Emergency Committee has been meeting in order to review the school’s response to the current Pandemic in terms of Academics, Services to the Community and Operations. This is the time when the group shares best practices learned from different webinars and forums to which we have access through the networks our school has developed.

The team is now in the midst of the preparation of the “Trusting and Planning Forward: A Guide to Reuniting for 2020-2021”. Our priority with the documentation we are producing is to focus on the safety of our families and our commitment to the mission and vision that has carried us through these weeks. As we have reiterated, this experience has promoted the implementation of several practices that we may want to keep as we plan forward. Every stakeholder has been forced out of comfort zones and serious considerations have been discussed as excellent take-aways for the near future.

In order to produce an organized plan of action, seven committees will be drafting and reviewing documentation to present a guide that integrates the following areas to align with our vision and mission:

Community Services and Relationships
Extended Learning Development
Finance Management
Operations and Facilities Management
Socio-emotional, Spiritual and Character Development
Safety and Well-being
Teaching and Learning

The purposes of these committees have been defined. For example, the Safety and Well-being Sub-committee will need to be on top of how what we learn about the virus will affect the school’s practices and decision making. In conjunction with the Teaching and Learning sub-committee, the Safety and Well-being sub-committee will design and continually update a decision matrix that informs how learning and operations should commence and shift based on current health and safety guidelines: IF conditions look like this, THEN we learn / operate like this….

In order to do that and design and continually update the policies, procedures and precautions that ensure the health and safety of our entire community, coordination between the committees will also be key.

Planning for Reuniting in 2020-2021

On a weekly basis the school’s Emergency Committee has been meeting in order to review the school’s response to the current Pandemic in terms of Academics, Services to the Community and Operations. This is the time when the group shares best practices learned from different webinars and forums to which we have access through the networks our school has developed.

The team is now in the midst of the preparation of the “Trusting and Planning Forward: A Guide to Reuniting for 2020-2021”. Our priority with the documentation we are producing is to focus on the safety of our families and our commitment to the mission and vision that has carried us through these weeks. As we have reiterated, this experience has promoted the implementation of several practices that we may want to keep as we plan forward. Every stakeholder has been forced out of comfort zones and serious considerations have been discussed as excellent take-aways for the near future.

In order to produce an organized plan of action, seven committees will be drafting and reviewing documentation to present a guide that integrates the following areas to align with our vision and mission:

Community Services and Relationships
Extended Learning Development
Finance Management
Operations and Facilities Management
Socio-emotional, Spiritual and Character Development
Safety and Well-being
Teaching and Learning

The purposes of these committees have been defined. For example, the Safety and Well-being Sub-committee will need to be on top of how what we learn about the virus will affect the school’s practices and decision making. In conjunction with the Teaching and Learning sub-committee, the Safety and Well-being sub-committee will design and continually update a decision matrix that informs how learning and operations should commence and shift based on current health and safety guidelines: IF conditions look like this, THEN we learn / operate like this….

In order to do that and design and continually update the policies, procedures and precautions that ensure the health and safety of our entire community, coordination between the committees will also be key.

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