NEWSLETTER #6
DECEMBER 2023
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE ISP FAMILY!
Building ISP Bridges:
Coming Together, Sharing Learning, Getting Better
"Coming together is a beginning. Staying together is progress. Working together is success."
Henry Ford
Building ISP Bridges:
Coming Together, Sharing Learning, Getting Better
In this final edition of HemISPHere for 2023, we explore the theme "Building Bridges in ISP," celebrating the collective journey of our 12 schools in the Iberia region. Committed to excellence, this edition reflects the spirit of unity, collaboration, and continuous improvement that characterizes our collective efforts.
Through stories from teachers, students, and school staff, we delve into innovative methodologies and intercultural programmes that enrich the educational environment. "Building Bridges in ISP" highlights the interconnection that defines our network, celebrating the positive impact of collaboration on learning.
Keep reading to discover the achievements, milestones, and collaborative initiatives that drive our schools every day. HemISPHere invites you to explore the collective wisdom propelling us to go further, united in our pursuit of excellence.
ISP KEY PRINCIPLES
COMING TOGETHER: CHALLENGE
BEGIN WITH OUR CHILDREN AND STUDENTS
Our children and students are at the heart of our business. Simply, their success is our success.
SHARING LEARNING: CHOICE
TREAT EVERYONE WITH CARE & RESPECT
We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the wellbeing of each other.
OPERATE EFFECTIVELY
We focus on the things that are most important and will make the most difference.
ARE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.
GETTING BETTER: CHANGE
LEARN CONTINUOSLY
Getting better is what drives us.
ISP CORNER - WHO WE ARE
82
Schools
80,000
Students
22
Countries
~11,000
Staff
THE ISP FAMILY KEEPS GROWING
ST. GEORGE SCHOOL NUMBER 12 IN SPAIN
St George Madrid, the prestigious British school, joins International Schools Partnership, strengthening its commitment to global educational excellence.
At St. George Madrid, we pride ourselves on offering a dynamic and enriched educational experience. Our school, nestled in the vibrant city of Madrid, embraces the values of academic excellence, cultural diversity, and a nurturing community. With a commitment to a British International curriculum, including the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program for our high school students, we provide a holistic learning environment for students aged 2 to 18.
As we join the International Schools Partnership (ISP) family, we look forward to contributing our distinctive educational approach while engaging in collaborative initiatives that align with the ISP ethos of Coming Together, Sharing Learning, Getting Better.
"Our dedicated team of native-speaking teachers, state-of-the-art facilities, and a strong emphasis on personalised learning contribute to fostering each student's unique talents and interests."
- Giles Montier, Head of St George Madrid
GET TO KNOW SOME OF OUR LEADERS... "A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.”― Brené Brown
Natalia Cáceres
Together: Diversity and Inclusion
Natalia Cáceres, Director of International School Andalucía, talks to us about the impact of an international mindset on diversity and inclusion.
She explains that diversity and inclusion are fundamental to their vision and mission as an international school with an international mindset. They intend to communicate this as part of their school's identity and work to ensure that all their policies reflect their commitment. It permeates everything the school does.
“Engaging with diverse cultures and participating in international programmes has enhanced our students' intercultural understanding and competence.”
Ana Aguilera
Sharing Growth: ILOS and the Promotion of Best Educational Practices
Ana Aguilera, ILOS Programme Designer, shares with us the successful growth of ILOS, thanks to the collaboration between schools, interdisciplinary approaches, professional development, and the evaluation of educational impact.
"The ILOS team loves interdisciplinary learning!
We provide resources for teams to explore the topic and collaboratively devise a story that comes to life while developing their skills through the ILOS programmes. These changes have already shown an increase in programme participation as well as higher quality learning outcomes."
Carmen D.
Awarded the Extraordinary Prize for Compulsory Secondary Education in Andalusia, during the academic year 2022/2023
Carmen has been a student at El Altillo International School since she was three years old. She is currently in her first year of the International Baccalaureate in Social Sciences, and she is planning to study Law and International Relations to go into Diplomacy or the field of Justice. What she particularly values most about her time at El Altillo International School is, "the integration of the students and the warmth, professionalism and attention of the teachers, as well as the numerous educational opportunities offered to them".
COMING TOGETHER - "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." - African Proverb
Halloween at Fontenebro, A celebration of learning!
Coming together
Fontenebro International School has different education stages under one roof, and it is fantastic to see how they come together to provide such a motivating and enriching learning experience during Halloween and importantly, one that we can share and celebrate with our families through such a popular event for all.
Mike West - Head of Learning
Families also add points to the House system at Palacio de Granda
From the House system, we have launched a new activity, this time for the whole family: The Mountain, a math challenge.
Pupils could earn 5 extra House Points by sending a family photo to their House email, showing the family working on the challenge. By doing it together, the students have also reinforced a mathematical concept that Singapore methodology works on very often: connected numbers.
Parties and Early Learning at El Altillo International School
Using parties as a learning environment in the early years can be a fun and effective way to engage young children in educational activities.
Internacional Aravaca, an Emotionally Intelligent School
At Internacional Aravaca we have been working for years with Emotional Intelligence programs to continue improving the school's coexistence.
This year we started a new program called SILENOLE, where families and the school work together.
Reto de rap freestyle.mp4
European Youth Parliament El Altillo International School
In November, El Altillo International School dazzled as they celebrated their European Youth Parliament (EYP). We are proud to share how our passionate students not only showcased their excellence but also reaffirmed their commitment to international education by orchestrating the EYP as an integral part of their CAS project.
Fontenebro International School is launching a new project: the Reader Sponsor Programme
The Reader Sponsor Programme is an interstage initiative that seeks to foster reading habits and the pleasure of reading in our students. We firmly believe in the power of reading to enrich children’s learning and personal development. This program aims to involve all school students in promoting reading within our community.
Laude House System is back! at Laude San Pedro International College
This year, Laude St Peter's has brought back the house system. North, South, East and West are our four wonderful teams that bring together students from various grades, systems and ages. The purpose of this system is to have annual events to involve all students. On this day two events have been organised in the houses: a magazine and a basketball tournament.
New intergenerational reading club at British School of Vila-real
We created the first local intergenerational Reading Club "Mothers and Daughters" in the city of Vila-real, called "Readings in Purple", in collaboration with the City Council of Vila-real. This club is specially designed for women, mothers, daughters, grandmothers, nieces... together in the same group, reading the same book, to which they will surely give a very different interpretation. The group is made up of fifteen women between the ages of 16 and 74. They will meet once a month to discuss the selected reading, which for the month of November has been the book "Paula" by the Venezuelan writer Isabel Allende.
Cultural trip to Rome by the students of British School of Vila-real
In November, our students went on an educational trip to Rome (Italy) as part of the Latin subject as well as to visit historical and outstanding places as studied in the subjects of History of Art, Geography, Fundamentals of Art and Design. This trip consisted of recreational and educational visits prepared by and for our students in which they visited museums, historical monuments and the whole central area of Rome. In this way, the pupils were able to put into practice the knowledge acquired in the different subjects.
"The Big Draw" of Laude San Pedro International College
In October this year, the art department at Laude San Pedro organised and carried out a Big Draw in which all children from EYFS, ESO, Baccalaureate to Year 13 took part. The task was to fill a huge sheet of paper with portraits of family members in pencil, pen and charcoal. The event took place in the school library and lasted from 8.50am until 4.15pm. The raison of the event was to bring together pupils and staff from all areas of our school.
The younger pupils enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the sixth formers and were fascinated by the talent of our older art pupils. It also gave staff the opportunity to work with a specialist art teacher and to participate in an event that literally brought the whole school together to create a huge collaborative work of art. The strength of this collaboration was the bringing together of pupils from different ages and areas of the school, allowing them to experience a sense of community, something the arts do very well.
"A true community arts project that will be repeated in successive years."
Suzanne Manners, Head of Creative Arts en Laude San Pedro International College
SHARING LEARNING - "Sharing knowledge is not about giving people something, or getting something from them. That is only valid for information sharing. Sharing knowledge occurs when people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action; it is about creating learning processes". - Peter Senge
Learning about the Silk Road at the British School of Vila-real
British School of Vila-real and the Chinese Cultural Association in Castellón signed a collaboration agreement last year to strengthen ties between the school and the association, with the aim of becoming the school of choice for Chinese nationals living in the Castellón region. The mission of both entities is to carry out joint initiatives to raise awareness of Chinese culture and customs among the BSVR educational community and the people of the Castellón region.
On 1 December, the school and the association celebrated the history of the development of the Silk Road. All students from Year 3 to Year 9 had prepared their own exhibition on the Silk Road and presented it to the representatives of the Castellón Chinese Cultural Association and all the parents of the school. The parents and representatives of the Association voted for the two best presentations: one from Primary and one from Secondary. Families also enjoyed a delicious hot tea and different Chinese snacks in our Chinese Tea Corner while they chose their favourite presentations.
All participating students received a gift, sponsored by local Chinese companies and the school. The two presentations with the most votes, Year 5A and Year 7A, will receive a special Asian meal on 15th December courtesy of one of the members of the Castellón Chinese Cultural Association, a restaurant owner.
British School of Málaga celebrates Black History Month
For the past two years, our school has celebrated Black History Month during the month of October.
This year's theme is 'Saluting our Sisters' - dedicated to honouring the achievements of black women.
During this month, students have spent part of their lessons praising and recognising those who have played such an important role in helping to positively shape our world.
Newton College - How student leadership is changing our culture of respect
This year, Newton College formed its 'Respect Committee' to develop an even stronger culture of respect as one of our ten Newton Characteristics. These are competencies and values that we all want our students to develop during their time at the school, to prepare them for an uncertain future.
Newton College participates in the Interschool Science Fair
Every year, Newton College organises a fair dedicated to science and technology in which the students of the school learn through different workshops and activities. On 28 April 2023, the 3rd edition of this essential annual event took place, the Interschool Science Fair, an event for dissemination and coexistence between secondary schools, vocational training centres, universities in the province and other entities that promote scientific knowledge and learning.
New Healthy Habits Department at British School of Vila-real
In September 2023, the Healthy Habits Department was created which, made up of professionals in nutrition, nursing and sports science, ensures that the school is a favourable environment for the promotion of health, proactively educating on issues such as: food, rest, physical activity, sustainability, use of devices, hygiene... with the aim of being more conscious in our choices and routines.
At an institutional level, audits are carried out to evaluate a whole series of parameters that make the centre a healthy environment: canteen, reviews and quality controls of the menus, spaces available for play/activity, infrastructures, activities, promotion of sport, actions in favour of environmental care, and a long etcetera... On the other hand, we work with families and pupils through seminars and workshops. For those who want to learn more from a team of qualified health professionals, there is a platform with videos, informative articles, tools and support resources to guide them at all times, as well as direct communication with the Department for any individual queries they may have.
Project "Space Explorer" 5th Year of Primary School at Palacio de Granda
In every IPC project, there is an activity called "entry point". In most cases, it is unannounced and is an activity that is carried out to attract the attention and curiosity of the students. In Space Explorer, the International Space Station requested urgent help as they had run out of supplies and our students had to design space rockets to get them what they needed. They spent some time investigating the best way to make a homemade rocket. Some decided to apply the chemical reactions of baking soda and vinegar, others chose to mix Coca-Cola and Mentos. Like the good scientists they are, they have had to test, make changes and re-calculate their initial projects. Last week, when time permitted, we put some of the space rockets to the test. Not all the missions got off the ground, which will keep us trying.
Transforming recess at Lady Elizabeth School Primary School
Recess, an integral part of the children's school day, is usually a break for fun, physical exercise and socialising. However, an innovative transformation is underway at Lady Elizabeth, redefining playtime as an essential component of learning through the adoption of the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) approach.
Flotsam" Project at the British School of Málaga
Starting the year with a curriculum project allows the children to experience a sense of cohesion across the school, which makes both old and new pupils adapt to the school with greater confidence.
This year our text is Flotsam by David Wiesner. It is a wordless text, allowing the children to create their own interpretation of the story. The narrative is multi-layered, meaning that interpretation is open-ended and there is no right or wrong sense of reading. This book demands that you look at it again and again.
John Hattie's "Know your impact", theme of one of the learning sessions at San Pedro International College
The use of research promotes professional dialogue and can provide a framework for change or development of existing practice. This was the premise for the design of one of the sessions of our primary training day, which focused on visible learning.
"Visible Learning is a deliberate mindset that shifts the focus from what teachers are teaching to what students are learning" - John Hattie
Newton College participates in Educaixa's THE CHALLENGE, which awards prizes to the best research work by Baccalaureate pupils
During the second week of April, four of our Baccalaureate students travelled to Barcelona, accompanied by two of the two teachers from the Science Department, to take part in the competition organised by Educaixa.
Our students Santiago M., Anabel C., Ginés D. and Eleuterio V., all 1st year Environmental Systems and Societies students, qualified for the EduChallenge 2023 campus. These students were selected from more than 1500 projects, 5500 students, 362 teachers and 289 schools in Spain and Portugal. At the campus, all teams were assigned a science coach to improve their project and present it in English to a panel of renowned international scientists.
Four International School Andalucía students reach the final of the Hult Business Challenge
International School Andalucía is proud to share some exciting news about our Year 12 students (Olivia, Andrea, Maria and Claudia) who are participating in the HULT Business Challenge for future leaders.
Over 200 teams from all over the world submitted their initial proposals in which they develop a new product and market strategy for Unilever. In this project they must therefore include market research, the product's target audience and why their product stands out from competitors.
We are very proud that our team made it to the final.
Students from EL Altillo International School take part in the World Chess Championship
Who says learning stops in the summer? During the month of August four members of the El Altillo International School chess team, along with their chess teacher Daniel Escobar, had the opportunity to take their learning to the next level and compete in the First World School Team Championship (WSTC) held in Kazakhstan.
BSA collaborates in the fight against Breast Cancer
The British School of Almeria held a charity bottle sale to coincide with World Breast Cancer Day.
The event took place on the morning of the 19th October at the school, where parents, pupils and staff were able to visit the charity stand to purchase their bottle and deposit their donation in the charity box.
The aim of the sale was to raise funds to be donated in full to the GEICAM Association, the leading group in breast cancer research in Spain, which currently enjoys international prestige.
BSA runs in support of Childhood Leukaemia
The British School of Almeria, in collaboration with the Seur Foundation and the Unoentrecienmil Foundation, organised the charity run "La Vuelta Al Cole" at its facilities in Roquetas de Mar.
Funds were raised to finance research projects to help find a cure for this disease. Hundreds of pupils, parents of pupils and all the school staff took part in the walk, running between one and two kilometres, depending on the year and age of the students.
Change Makers and EcoSchool at Palacio de Granda
This year we are launching ILOS Changemakers, or, in other words, being agents of change towards caring for our planet as part of our pupils' education. We have already started working with our team of new ECOdelegates, our Changemakers agents, and there is nothing better than being able to offer you this video of how, with a little bit of learning and a little bit of effort, we have been able to improve our environment, responsibility and care for living beings, recycling, reuse, composting.
This is how we commemorate the birth of Changemakers since we started back in 2017.
We hope you like it as much as we do!
British School of Vila-real takes part in a National Session at the European Parliament
3 Year 13 students represented BSVR at the National Session of the European Youth Parliament Spain held in Marbella last October 2023. One of them has been selected for the International Session, being the first time that one of our students has made it this far. He will represent YPE Spain in Thessaloniki 2024 (Greece) - 101st SI of the YPE. Another student has also been included in the 5th place of the Delegates Ranking and selected as a reserve, having a good chance to get a place in the International Session.
Students Leading Their Own Learning
The LES Times, Lady Elizabeth's Student Newspaper
Each year a group of Lady Elizabeth students launches The LES Times, a digital newspaper entirely run, edited, and produced by the students, under the guidance of Nicola Dickens, one of the English teachers. A great example of student initiative and leadership.
NEW LEARNING SPACES
Amazing Reading Corner at Palacio de Granda
Secondary 2 pupils have a special space designed to immerse themselves in literary adventures and let their imaginations run wild. With this, we help them to create a reading habit, improve their language skills, expand their vocabulary and reading comprehension. It is also used for assemblies and group dynamics in which we encourage collaborative learning, promote companionship and instil values such as friendship, respect and tolerance.
In this learning corner, we cultivate creative minds and caring hearts, building a bright future for our students.
Just another example of our Amazing Learning!
New Community Cafeteria at Laude San Pedro International College
What better way to build relationships between parents, staff and sixth formers than over good coffee, healthy smoothies, tasty snacks and all from a community coffee truck? As part of the finishing touches to our new Laude San Pedro's dining area we have been delighted to welcome our Snack Shack!
New Multisensory Classroom at Palacio de Granda
The new multi-sensory classroom and Orientation space is a place where our students react with a 'wow' and allow them to interact with the environment in a more relaxed way.
The multisensory classroom is a space designed so that our young and not-so-young students can interact with the environment through the stimulation of their senses. In this way, children can enhance their social and intellectual skills through discovery.
In this way, the sensory stimulation classrooms are used to work on the children's abilities, such as sensations, perception skills, and sensory integration.
ISP Schools is a network of 12 public schools in Spain, specialists in British and international education, and part of the International Schools Partnership, one of the world's largest education groups.
We develop bilingual students, help them reach their full academic potential and empower them to adopt an international mindset through innovative learning.
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info@ispschools.es
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