Dear Parents,

Wow! What a fantastic start to the academic year. Thank you everyone for following the protocols and ensuring everything went smoothly. It has been super to hear our students' happy voices around the school. We look forward to seeing the rest of you tomorrow, and please remember to have your Letter of Responsibility signed and ready to go at the front entrance.

Thank you!

Primary (years 1-6) - What happens if your students don't attend school at all?

This is a message to clarify the procedures for those students who will not attend school at all for Covid-19 related reasons. These students will still have access to VICTORIA classes, via the following means:

• On the days that their group is in school (Group 1 MON, TUE, Group 2 WED, THU), the students that do not attend school physically will have access to certain key classes via a live Google Meet stream.

• Students who do not attend school at all will still have access to live online classes during the days that their group is not scheduled to attend school physically.

• All students will have access to all materials and teacher input on Google Classroom.

• All relevant codes and timetables will be in place from Monday 30th for the official start of classes.

• This provision is something we will continue to review and adjust as needed.

It is worth noting that we are setting up school for a presencial return, and access to live streamed classes will not replicate actually being in school (group activities, constant interaction etc). However, it will give students the chance to have live input from their teacher.

Secondary/Prepa - What happens if your students don't attend school at all?

This is a message to clarify the procedures for those students who will not attend school at all for Covid-19 related reasons. These students will still have access to VICTORIA classes, via the following means:

• On the days that their group is in school (Group 1 MON, TUE, Group 2 WED, THU), the students that do not attend school physically will have access to the classes via a live Google Meet stream.

• All students will have access to all materials on Google Classroom.

• All students can attend the program of set after-school activities from 3-4 for more live teacher time.

• This will be in place from Monday 30th.

It is worth noting that we are setting up school for a presencial return, and access to live streamed classes will not replicate actually being in school (group activities, constant interaction etc). However, it will give students the chance to have live input from their teacher.

Dear Parents,

Please click HERE to read and print the version of the letter we would like you to sign when you arrive at school this week, with a small clarification to clause 5 and 6. This means that if your child has travelled out of state with large groups, e.g. on aeroplanes, at weddings, etc. they need to wait 10 days, or present a negative test after 7 days, before coming into school.

We would also like to take the chance to share some of the other documents emailed to you over the past week. This LINK will show you the groups for your child. And, this LINK is the form to let us know if you will not be sending your child back to in-person classes.

Also, here are the 2 links for our NEW Parent sessions tomorrow TUESDAY 24th:

• 2:30-3 p.m. NEW PRIMARY Parents

• 3-3:30 p.m. NEW SECONDARY / PREPA Parents

On Friday we will have two more open Q & A sessions since we know many of you have further questions.

Primary Open Q & A

Friday, August 27 · 10:00 – 11:00am

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/zzu-kswy-xdu

Secondary/Prepa Open Q & A

Friday, August 27 · 12:00 – 1:00pm

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/yjw-erqr-tjp

Have a great week!

Dear Parents,

Here is the Letter of Responsibility we are asking each of you to fill out and hand in to our personnel on your child's first day of in-person classes. Please read this document before you attend your child’s year group meetings on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th August, so we can clarify any doubts you may have.

Please click on this link to read the document: LETTER OF RESPONSIBILITY

We will also be offering two meetings just for new parents on Tuesday 24th at 2:30 p.m. for Primary and 3 p.m. for Secondary/Prepa. This will be to give information about some of our systems and procedures.

Don't forget to download the school app and read the letter before your meetings.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Don't miss these important dates!

Here's a list of some important dates and sessions you definitely should not miss!

Just click on the links to access your child's group meeting!

See you tonight for our Parent Q & A!

AUGUST 18TH

7 p.m.

ALL PARENTS

Facebook fan page @victoriaschool

23rd August

9-10 a.m.

year 1

meet.google.com/zic-fwfb-yik

year 7

meet.google.com/qsm-hndt-pyo

10:15-11:15 a.m.

Year 2

meet.google.com/jpb-yies-bdv

Year 8

meet.google.com/sqn-nhby-vpj

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

year 3

meet.google.com/yrx-jgnw-xng

year 9

meet.google.com/tqh-uavd-fgs

12:45-1:45 p.m.

Nursery

meet.google.com/ech-fvhs-goh

Year 10

meet.google.com/yqs-pwdf-geo

24th August

9-10 a.m.

year 4

meet.google.com/yhq-vzhr-tdu

year 11

meet.google.com/dtq-xcah-nes

10:15-11:15 a.m.

year 5

meet.google.com/gmn-ktqe-dzv

year 12

meet.google.com/nin-bhuc-prn

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Reception

meet.google.com/fwn-wgta-gux

year 6

meet.google.com/mox-sofh-vkf

year 13

meet.google.com/mpj-zgae-nmw

1-2 p.m.

VICTORIA Prepa Online

meet.google.com/ksf-axyi-fgc

Dear parents,

Last week we announced our Parent Q & A was schedule for tomorrow, 17th August at 7 p.m.

It has been changed to Wednesday 18th August at the same time.

This session will take place on Facebook Live. Just log into our Facebook fan page @victoriaschool .

Don't miss it!

¡Descarguen el app del colegio en su smartphone!

Download the VICTORIA School News App on your smartphone!

¡Recibirán lo último en noticias, mensajes importantes y notificaciones además de estar al día con todas nuestras fechas importantes!

You will receive all our updates, latest news and notifications as well as keep up with all of our important dates!

Sigan estas instrucciones sencillas:

Follow these simple instructions:

Guía rápida de instalación

Quick set up guide

1. Busquen el app Edlio School News / Search for the Edlio School News app

2. Busquen al colegio / Search for the school:

Instituto Bilingüe VICTORIA ENGLISH

3. Agreguen Instituto Bilingüe VICTORIA English a la app / Add Instituto Bilingüe VICTORIA English to the app

4. Reciban alertas, eventos y noticias inmediatamente / Get alerts, events and news immediately.

Dear Parents,

As we mentioned last week, we will be returning to voluntary in-person classes on Wednesday 25th August.

In Primary, Secondary and Prepa, our students are split into two groups by surname. Group 1 will attend school on Wednesday 25th August for social training, and then on Mondays and Tuesdays each of the following weeks. Group 2 will attend school on Thursday 26th August for social training, and then on Wednesdays and Thursdays each of the following weeks. Attached you can see which group your child (ren) are in, and therefore which two days they will be able to attend in person. If you use the Ctrl + F function and type in your child’s name, you will be able to find their group more easily. Fridays will be a timetabled day for selected students for intervention classes, catch-up sessions and enrichment sessions.

During the two days in which your child (ren) are in school, there will be a focus on interaction with teachers and classmates, and explanation of key themes. During the two days of online learning, students will have some live class provision, as well as timetabled blocks to complete independent work relating to each in-person lesson. Full timetables for the ‘in-school’ and ‘at-home’ days for each student for this will be sent out at the start of term.

We’re pleased to be able to offer the chance for all of our students in Year 6 and 13 to attend continuously from Monday to Thursday due to their smaller numbers. The situation will be reviewed continuously and we will aim to increase the in-person provision over the course of the term where safely possible.

Our Kinder children will have a slightly different structure, which you can see on the second tab of the link above. All our Nursery children will be in on Monday and Tuesday and alternate Wednesdays. Reception children will be in on alternate Wednesdays, and every Thursday and Friday. Miss Bull will be in contact with further information about this before the start of term. On the days Kinder children are not in school, they will have online activities to complete at home.

I know many of you still have concerns about sending your children back to in-person classes. I’d like to reiterate the message from last week that their safety is our priority and our prevention measures have been approved by both the authorities.

We will run several online sessions before to explain our systems and processes for the start of term, as well as sending out important documents concerning our COVID measures. The first one will be on Tuesday 17th August at 7 p.m.. In this we will answer general questions about the return to school and hybrid learning.

Furthermore, on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th August, we will be holding virtual year group meetings to explain in detail the educational systems for each year group, to clear up any doubts, and for parents and children to meet their new teachers. In the Kinder meetings, only parents are required to attend.

These will be at the following times (access codes for these online meetings to follow):

Monday 23rd August:

9 a.m: Year 1 and Year 7

10:15 a.m.: Year 2 and Year 8

11:30 a.m.: Year 3 and Year 9

12:45 p.m.: Nursery and Year 10

Tuesday 24th August:

9 a.m.: Year 4 and Year 11

10:15 a.m.: Year 5 and Year 12

11:30 a.m.: Reception, Year 6 and Year 13

1 p.m.: Prepa Online

In the meantime, please keep checking your emails for further updates, and please do not hesitate to get in touch with us straight away if you have any doubts.

We look forward to seeing you in the meetings.

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

I hope you are enjoying a restful summer holiday. As we mentioned in July, we are planning an optional return to in-person classes, beginning on August 25th. Given the rise in cases in Queretaro, and the prevalence of the Delta variant, we know that many of you have concerns about your children coming into school.

We would like to reassure you that the return is optional - if you are not comfortable sending your child in, they can continue to work online. We would also like to assure you that your child’s safety is our main priority, and all our activities will be conducted under strict protocols which have been approved by the authorities. Below we have outlined the main measures we will be taking to ensure that school is as safe as possible:

• Restricted numbers of students to ensure 1.5m distance can be maintained at all times, including when seated in classrooms. This will mean all our students from Kinder to Year 12 will be in school for a minimum of two days, with online provision on the other days. We will ensure that siblings attend on the same days. Year 13 will be able to attend every day Monday to Thursday.

• Compulsory use of face-masks at all times

• Each room used will be well ventilated, with doors and windows kept open at all times

• Sanitization of spaces after each use

• Hand gel dispensers in each room and around the school. Students will have to apply gel on entering and leaving a room

• Entrance checks on arrival at school by school staff including the doctor. This will include temperature checks, observation of symptoms, sanitization mats, face-mask checks and application of hand sanitizer

• Checks throughout the day by the school doctor of temperature and symptom observation

• One-way system around school to give as much space as possible

• All staff in contact with your children have been fully vaccinated

• No sharing of equipment, with all equipment such as laptops sanitized before and after each use

• Immediate isolation of anyone who presents any COVID symptoms

• A confidential database of cases and suspected cases to allow contact tracing and isolation

• Clear, strict procedures about what to do in case of cases in your child’s class

• Random testing of staff and students

In addition to the measures we will be implementing as a school, we will also be expecting parents to sign a letter of responsibility for any child who comes into school. This will include confirming that:

• the child does not have any COVID-19 symptoms (including sore throat, runny nose, headache, stomach upset, cough, temperature of 37.5 C or higher).

• the child has not been in close contact (15 minutes or more with or without masks) with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days (or 10 days if the child is asymptomatic).

• the child has not attended any events with large groups of people out of state

• the child has not tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 14 days.

It is vitally important that the whole community follows the procedures in this letter, in particular not sending in your child if they have any symptoms. Whilst we know this can cause inconvenience and symptoms may not always be due to COVID-19, it is very important that they are kept at home until they receive a negative COVID test so we can give our students the best protection possible.

In order for us to plan our return in the most controlled way possible, we ask you to fill out the following questionnaire about your plans for August 25th onwards. We understand that circumstances for each family may change before then, but this is to allow us to plan as much as possible.

We will be in touch closer to the date with further information about the systems and procedures for August 25th onwards.

Yours faithfully,

COVID-19 Rapid Response Team

Dear Parents,

The date for you to start to collect Kinder, Primary and Secondary grades has been changed due to a SEP delay. You can collect your child's grades on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th July from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at school. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Again, please do not visit school if you have travelled out of state. Please protect our staff.

Thank you.

After yesterday's farewell to our year 13 students, we hope you can join us today at 10 a.m. for our whole school Closing Ceremony at 10 a.m.

We hope to see you on Zoom to say goodbye to the 2020-2021 cycle, and welcome in the summer holiday! Please click on this ZOOM LINK to join the virtual ceremony.

Dear Parents,

As we mentioned last week, we plan to start a return to in-person classes from August 25th. Although we don’t yet know what the COVID-19 situation will be in August, we would like to give you a little more information about how we plan to organise classes in the next term.

In order to comply with the regulations set out by the authorities and to keep student safety as our priority, we will be operating a ‘hybrid’ model, with reduced numbers in our classrooms. This means that in Primary, Secondary and Years 11-12, each class will be divided into two groups (primarily alphabetically) and will attend school a minimum of two days each week.

Students in Group 1 will attend school in-person on Monday/Tuesday, and Group 2 students will attend on Wednesday/Thursday. Fridays will be a timetabled day of in-person lessons for those students who need further support or enrichment, or who are unable to access online learning. On the days students are not in school, work will be set for them to complete, along with a number of live Zoom/Google Meet online sessions for them to attend.

Since our Year 13 students will be in smaller groups for their options subjects, they will be able to attend in-person classes full time Monday-Thursday from August 25th.

Our Kinder students will also be returning to physical school for a minimum of two days a week. Over the summer we will be working to decide how these groups will be divided, and will send more information in August.

Any attendance of in-person classes will continue to be voluntary. Those students who cannot attend in-person classes will receive alternative arrangements.

Further details, including student lists and timetables for the day will be sent out towards the end of the summer holidays. We will continue to adapt as necessary to ensure that all our students are able to receive the best education possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you for all your support during this year. We hope that you have a well-deserved summer holiday and look forward to welcoming you back in person in August.

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

Please click on this link for next week's PRIMARY CULTURE WEEK TIMETABLE!

If you have any questions, please contact your child's form tutor or Miss Bianca Bircumshaw (bbircumshaw@victoriaschool.edu.mx) or Miss Quesnel (mquesnel@victoriaschool.edu.mx) .

Thank you!

Dear Parents,

Today we have been in meetings with the educational authorities in the state of Queretaro, and as a Leadership Team. It has been confirmed that certain ‘in-person’ activities will be permitted from Monday 14th June for some groups of students. These activities include classes for Kinder children, as well as remedial catch-up classes in the rest of the school.

We will publish the exact nature of this return to in-person learning early next week, but for the moment, we can say the following things:

• Any return is subject to the school having approved and authorised safety and hygiene protocols.

• Any return of students is VOLUNTARY.

• Work and Zoom classes will continue to be given online, so any students that do not return in-person will continue to receive a full education. There may be slight changes to the Zoom timetables.

• The return will be ‘scaled-up’. This means that there will be a small number of students in school each day rather than a 100% return.

• As soon as we receive more information, we will communicate it officially to you.

Area Specific

Kinder & year 1: These year groups will be able to come to school for in-person learning between 14th June and 2nd July. Miss Bull (Kinder) and Miss Bircumshaw (year 1) will be in touch at the beginning of next week with exact dates and processes.

Primary (years 2 - 6): Miss Bircumshaw will be in touch at the beginning of next week with exact dates and processes. This is likely to include one year group per day from June 14th.

Secondary/Prepa (years 7-13): Mr Sloan will be in touch at the beginning of next week with exact dates and processes. This is likely to include one year group per day from June 21st.

Questionnaire

In order to help us plan the structure of these weeks, please could you fill in the following form so we can determine group sizes.

Remember that any return to classes is voluntary, and your children will still be able to access all learning from home. We understand that this is an exciting, as well as an anxious time for our school community. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any doubts, concerns or worries at all. As always, the wellbeing of the VICTORIA community is our priority.

Best wishes,

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

Next week marks an important next step as we move towards a re-opening for students. From Monday 7th June, our staff will be transitioning from working at home to working from school. This will help us adjust to being physically in school, conduct mandatory COVID-19 training, and prepare all of our spaces for the return of students.

The date for a return to ‘in-person’ classes has still not been confirmed within the state of Queretaro, but at VICTORIA, we are prepared and ready for the return as soon as we have permission, and the conditions are safe and secure for all of our community.

Monday will be the first time in 15 months that we have our staff working from school, and it will also allow us to test our WIFI infrastructure. Please be patient, and accept our apologies in advance if there is a slight dip in the quality of our teachers’ Zoom connections.

Best wishes, and stay tuned for further updates.

Dr Hiley

May 18th, 2021

Dear Parents,

We would like to thank you for your continued support to VICTORIA throughout this academic year, and stress the importance of keeping up-to-date with your tuition payments.

As you know, there are no monthly payments due in July or August. School expenses continue, however, particularly as we prepare for a re-opening of in-person classes. These include the preparation and implementation of Covid-19 measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students, teachers, administration and support staff. We would like to encourage you, therefore, to cover your monthly fees and missed payments, and also to pay your child’s enrollment fee for the 2021/22 academic year as soon as convenient.

Yours faithfully,

Covid-19 Rapid Response Team

Just a reminder that we have a Webinar 'Preparing for Prepa' happening at 4pm today. Here is the link - see you there!

Topic: Preparing for Prepa / Camino a la Prepa

Time: May 17, 2021 04:00 PM Mexico City

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/93491462924?pwd=azhjS243eTEydk1WM21wWUo0WmtYUT09

Meeting ID: 934 9146 2924

Passcode: PREPA

Dear Parents,

I hope that your children and yourselves will be able to join us for our 'Preparing for Prepa' webinar on Monday 17th May at 4 p.m. This webinar is directed to year 10 parents and students, but all of our Secondary parents are welcome to attend. We will have a number of guests talking about their experiences of Prepa at VICTORIA, and there will be the chance for you to ask questions throughout the session.

Here is the link:

https://zoom.us/j/93491462924?pwd=azhjS243eTEydk1WM21wWUo0WmtYUT09

Meeting ID: 934 9146 2924

Passcode: PREPA

See you there,

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

Our in-school extracurricular activities will run again next week from Monday 10th to Thursday 13th May. Please fill in this GOOGLE FORM to select your activity.

Please keep in mind that:

• If you have previously registered, you do not need to fill in the GOOGLE FORM again.

• Every child that attends needs to bring the completed permission slip.

• There will be no Kinder activities on Monday 10th May (remember to get in touch with Miss Bull for any doubts about Kinder kbull@victoriaschool.edu.mx)

Thanks for your support, and please get in touch if you have any questions or doubts at all.

Dear Parents,

Please Read Carefully

We will continue to open our school premises for non-academic extracurricular activities from 3:15 - 4:15 p.m. These activities will start next week (Monday 26th to Thursday 29th April) and will be repeated on a weekly basis. All participation continues to be voluntary from members of staff and students/parents. Participation will also require students and parents to follow all instructions extremely carefully and to fill out a permission slip beforehand.

Activities will be offered to the following groups per day:

Monday 26th - years 1, 2, 3

Tuesday 27th - years 4, 5, 6

Wednesday 28th - years 7, 8, 9

Thursday 29th - years 10, 11, 12, 13

Full details of the activities we will offer are available on the Google Form (link below). Miss Bull will communicate arrangements for Kinder separately.

Please note that all activities will:

a) Be outdoors

b) Not have shared equipment

c) Be conducted with 1.5m distance between children at all times.

d) Be non-academic

If you wish your children to participate, they (and you) must abide by all sanitary/hygiene regulations (please refer to the permission letter).

To sign up for an activity, you must fill in this Google Form before Thursday 22nd April. It is one form per child.

Please note that if the sanitary situation in the state of Queretaro changes, we may cancel the program of activities. The ability to continue to offer these types of activities will also depend on all of our community respecting the regulations that we set out.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

After Easter break, Primary, Secondary and Prepa teachers will send out emails requesting meetings with you to discuss your child's progress for either 16th (Prepa and Primary) or 23rd (Secondary) April. These meetings will be scheduled between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. for Primary and between 1 and 4 p.m. for Secondary and Prepa. They will replace the individual reports we have sent in the past. This will give teachers the opportunity to discuss your child's progress with you and your child and ways to improve their academic performance in more depth.

This time of year is especially important for our Prepa students. The meetings allow us to sit and talk before the international exams and the annual evaluations. Please keep in mind that we have asked teachers to prioritize students in each of their subjects but, if you would like to speak to a particular teacher, then please phone or email reception and we can add you and your child to the list, if there is space. This is on a first come first serve approach, so please let us know as soon as you can. Otherwise, you will receive an email a week before the meeting specifying the time and topics to be discussed.

Miss Bircumshaw will be sending further details to Primary parents in each class shortly.

Meetings will be scheduled on:

Friday 16th April - Primary (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.) and Prepa (1 - 4 p.m.)

Friday 23rd April - Secondary (years 7 to 10) (1 - 4 p.m.)

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact reception.

Best wishes,

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

The Easter break starts in just a couple of days. This is just a reminder that our school offices will be closed from Monday 29th March to Friday 9th April.

Please ensure any outstanding payments are made before this Friday 26th March, and program your April payments to be received by the 10th April.

Best wishes,

Admin

Dear Parents,

Next week, students will be doing assessed pieces that will contribute to their Cambridge examination grade. On the dates and times mentioned below, we ask that you supervise your child, and ensure that they are not accessing any external websites or resources. Please note that this only applies if your child is taking the subject indicated. Your cooperation in this matter is essential to ensure the authenticity of these results. At the end of the exam period, we will ask you to sign a letter to confirm that you were able to supervise the students at these times.

Individual teachers might email you directly if there are further instructions. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please address them to Mr Sloan, the Secondary Academic Head (gsloan@victoriaschool.edu.mx), or Mrs Clemens, our Cambridge Coordinator (aclemens@victoriaschool.edu.mx).

March 16th, 2021

Dear Year 2 Parents,

A little bit of news to bring you today. Miss Atencio has decided to move back home to San Diego and, as of Thursday this week, will no longer be delivering classes to Year 2. Mr Sheppard, who many of you will remember from last year, will be taking over for book week and for the rest of the school year.

I’m sure you will join us in wishing Miss Atencio all the best for her future, and in welcoming Mr Sheppard back into Year 2! There will be no changes to the timetable.

If you have any questions about this change or the implications, please do not hesitate to contact either Miss Bircumshaw bbircumshaw@victoriaschool.edu.mx Miss Quesnel mquesnel@victoriaschool.edu.mx or myself jhiley@victoriaschool.edu.mx .

Yours sincerely,

Dr Hiley

Dear All,

There have been various news articles shared this week about private schools returning or not returning to in-person classes on 1st March.

I would like to assure everyone that VICTORIA will not make snap decisions about a return based on such articles. Rather, we will continue to prioritise the health and well-being of our VICTORIA community by working with the relevant authorities under the relevant guidelines to ensure a safe return. Our school Covid-19 Health Committee continues to work well in ensuring that we follow all guidelines correctly, and we also are in constant communication with our supervisors, and our various school associations (ACPQ, British Heads, LAHC) etc.

Today, I was in a meeting with the heads of the private schools in Queretaro, and I can reassure you all that neither VICTORIA, nor any other private school in the association, has a fixed date for a return to in-person classes. Any changes to the current status will be communicated with plenty of anticipation.

We all want to return to face-to-face classes as soon as possible. Our best way to ensure this is to follow the now well-repeated advice in respect to hygiene measures and social distancing.

If you would like further information on this topic, and the source of these news stories, please click on this LINK.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate in contacting our school offices with any questions or doubts.

Best wishes,

Dr Jonathan Hiley

Dear Parents,

Today we spoke to our year 11 and 13 students about the current situation with respect to the May/June series of Cambridge Exams. Up until yesterday, Cambridge had insisted that in-person exams will go ahead as planned, but it appears that, given the severity of the situation in Mexico, we will have the opportunity to use teacher-based assessments instead in order to protect our staff and students. We are still awaiting confirmation of this, and will keep you updated.

Either way, these exams will have a cost and we will shortly be asking for a deposit towards them. Normally, our year 11 students sit 9 IGCSEs and our year 13 students sit 5 or 6 AS/A Levels. However, given the unprecedented economical impact of the current situation, we understand that paying such a large sum of money may be a challenge for some families. As a result, there is the possibility for your child to take the minimum number of subjects required to pass the year, according to our UNAM revalidation agreement.

For year 11, this minimum is 6 subjects, and for year 13 it is 4 AS Level subjects. An A Level, for example, Spanish, counts as 2 grades. Most of our students will score highly in Spanish, and so would then need another 2 AS Levels or 1 A Level subject for the UNAM to be able to revalidate their third year of Prepa.

Students who choose not to be entered to sit certain subjects will not have an official qualification or grade for those subjects.

Should you decide to enter your child for the minimum number of exams, we encourage you to look at the letter grades on their boletas in order to select the subjects you feel will give them the best final grades. According to our UNAM agreement, the letter grades your child obtains on these exams will be used for their revalidation, and not the numerical effort grades the teachers give throughout the year. Below is a reminder of the conversion of final Cambridge grades to the Mexican system.

IGCSE Yr 11

A*/A = 10

B = 9.3

C = 8.6

D = 8

E = 7.3

F = 6.6

G = 6

U = Ungraded

AS/A LEVEL Yr 12 & 13

A/A* =10

B = 9

C = 8

D = 7

E = 6

U = Ungraded

Mrs Clemens

Pastoral Head

CIE Administrator

aclemens@victoriaschool.edu.mx

Mr Sloan

Secondary Academic Head

gsloan@victoriaschool.edu.mx

Dr Hiley

Head of School

Miss Wrigley

Deputy Head of School

Dear VICTORIA Parents,

As announced on Tuesday 19th January, we are freezing our enrollment and monthly tuition fees. For full details and information on discounts, please visit our website by clicking on this link: TUITION FEES 2021-2022.

We are also introducing an ‘Invite a Friend’ offer. You can find out all about this limited offer HERE and learn how to take advantage of this great discount.

Stay safe,

Dr Jonathan Hiley

Head of School

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to worsen with increasing numbers of cases and deaths across the state, country and world, we would like to take this opportunity to encourage all of our community to remain vigilant and adhere to the now well-repeated guidelines.

Namely, please:

• Protect yourselves and others by limiting travel, social gatherings and exposure to large crowds.

• Follow basic social distancing protocols.

• Wear a face-mask, apply antibacterial gel and wash your hands regularly.

• Avoid visiting school unless absolutely necessary, and if you do have to enter VICTORIA, follow all instructions carefully.

• Follow appropriate contact-tracing procedures if you are exposed to the virus.

As always, we are sure that the VICTORIA community will come together by following the above measures and keeping everyone as safe and healthy as possible. Our success as we move through these difficult times relies on this teamwork.

With our best wishes, and our thoughts for all who have been affected.

Dear Primary Parents,

Thank you for your support with the new changes in Primary. We continue to look for feedback to make the best provision we can for your child’s education.

Please click on this LINK to answer a feedback form on our Primary Online Learning provision.

This may also help further answer any doubts or questions you have about how or why we do things in a certain way in Primary

Best regards,

Dr Jonathan Hiley

Dear All,

I am delighted to announce today that the school’s Leadership, the Covid-19 Rapid Response Team and the Head of the Parents Association have jointly taken the decision to freeze both enrollment and monthly fees for the 2021-2022 academic year. This unprecedented move means that our school fees will remain at the same level as they have been since September 2019.

Personally, I am extremely proud that we have taken this decision. It gives our families the security that they need to plan for the year ahead, and also demonstrates VICTORIA’s commitment to support our community as we move through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, we will shortly be announcing both a discount for punctual enrollment payers, and an ‘Invite a Friend’ incentive. Please look for details in our newsletter, or contact our administration offices.

With best wishes,

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

A little more information about the year 12 & 13 Parent Talk. We will now be starting the talks all together in the main room, so please go to this link at 4 p.m. today.

https://zoom.us/j/95717784752?pwd=SWxTdzJzK3dJQ3RVaG50RUtwWUozdz09

Meeting ID: 957 1778 4752

Passcode: 374207

Sorry for the last minute change of plan!

Dear Parents,

Our Prepa Talks are on Thursday 15th October for years 10-13. We have included links with some important information for you to review before each session.

The year 10 and 11 sessions will both start at 12 p.m. These Zoom sessions will be divided into two and will later be followed by a plenary. Mrs Clemens will be talking about our Cambridge systems, and Mr Sloan will take on the academic side of years 10 and 11. You can attend either session or drop into both. The plenary is for everyone at 12:30 p.m.

Please read this important information before the Zoom sessions: Yr10, Yr11.

Below are the the links and times of the meetings:

Cambridge: Mrs Clemens: 12 p.m.

https://zoom.us/j/93719289812?pwd=Y1pJZjlLb1VHVTkrenlNTHMydlZ6UT09

Meeting ID: 937 1928 9812

Passcode: 5n0UV2

Academic Mr Sloan: 12 p.m.

https://zoom.us/j/92802861904?pwd=b1RMMXdjMk02TjFEVFdld3hMZFkzQT09

Meeting ID: 928 0286 1904

Passcode: 881JUB

Plenary: 12:30 p.m.

https://zoom.us/j/92951905038?pwd=Tk53VnFjbW5vb0lycmpQTCtoZUhaQT09

Meeting ID: 929 5190 5038

Passcode: 527004

The sessions for years 12 and 13 will begin at 4 p.m. and will follow a similar format. Mrs Clemens and Lety Ochoa will talk about Cambridge and scholarships respectively and Mr Sloan will be talking about the academic side of years 12 and 13. Again, you can choose to go to either session or drop into both. The plenary is for everyone at 4:30 p.m.

Please read this important information before the Zoom sessions: Yr12, Yr13.

Below are the the links and times of the meetings:

Cambridge / Scholarships Mrs Clemens/ Lety Ochoa 4:00

https://zoom.us/j/93719289812?pwd=Y1pJZjlLb1VHVTkrenlNTHMydlZ6UT09

Meeting ID: 937 1928 9812

Passcode: 5n0UV2

Academic Mr Sloan 4 p.m.

https://zoom.us/j/92802861904?pwd=b1RMMXdjMk02TjFEVFdld3hMZFkzQT09

Meeting ID: 928 0286 1904

Passcode: 881JUB

Plenary 4:30 p.m.

https://zoom.us/j/95717784752?pwd=SWxTdzJzK3dJQ3RVaG50RUtwWUozdz09

Meeting ID: 957 1778 4752

Passcode: 374207

We do hope that you will be able to review the information provided in the different presentations so that you can prepare your questions or doubts before the meetings.

Yours sincerely,

VICTORIA Leadership Team

Dear Parents,

Tomorrow is Sports Day! This event will be different, but no less challenging and definitely FUN for everyone involved!

We hope to see you all at 9 a.m. with your colours rooting for your House: Desert, Mountain, Ocean or Jungle!

Here are the links for the event:

https://zoom.us/j/91032111467?pwd=aGtrSE91Vmp4QkM0ZDZ3ZGJDQjl1UT09

Meeting ID: 910 3211 1467

Passcode: Sports

See you tomorrow!

Dear Parents,

As you now know, we have extended our blanket discount of 10% into October. We are sure that, although Queretaro has moved into the 'Yellow Traffic Light', many businesses continue to struggle and this gesture shows our continued commitment to helping our families.

We would like to urge you; however, to support VICTORIA in return by making every effort possible to bring yourselves up to date with enrollment payments and monthly fees. By paying punctually, you receive a greater discount and avoid damaging suspensions. Most importantly, you allow the school to continue offering a high-quality education.

Best wishes,

COVID-19 RAPID RESPONSE TEAM

Dear Secondary Parents,

This Wednesday 7th October at 4 p.m. is the Secondary Parent Q & A (years 7, 8, 9 and 10) which we announced last week. Don't forget to jot it down on your calendars!

Join this meeting by clicking on the link:

https://zoom.us/j/95505580746?pwd=UExhd2R6WXQzWW10eE9uZHR4bnJnQT09

Meeting ID: 955 0558 0746

Code: 111001

See you on Wednesday!

Mrs Ana Marta Clemens

Secondary Pastoral Head

Dear Parents,

Over the course of the day, you should be receiving the first of your child's monthly reports. These are for all students in Primary and for those in Secondary and Prepa whose parents chose to receive them. If you have any problems accessing them, please contact Miss Bircumshaw (Primary) at bbircumshaw@victoriaschool.edu.mx or Mr Sloan (Secondary/Prepa) at gsloan@victoriaschool.edu.mx .

Best regards,

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

I’m sorry for not putting this in the Newsletter, but all of the VICTORIA staff will be undergoing training this Friday, 2nd October, and so there will be no scheduled classes. This is part of our continued programme of professional development to ensure that our staff are equipped to deliver the best possible online education. There will still be time on Friday for feedback meetings with staff for parents and students, so please be proactive in terms of arranging them if you have any doubts/queries. We suggest that your children use this time on Friday to catch-up with any outstanding work, and also to take a breather from our hectic schedule.

Kinder will be using the day for their individual Zoom family meetings.

On another note, we will be hosting our Virtual Sports Day on Tuesday 13th October. This will be a whole school participation event and we want everybody to get involved enthusiastically. There will be no scheduled classes on this day.

Finally, the Covid Rapid Response Team has approved the tuition discount for October; 10% discount if families pay within the first ten days of the month and 5% if they pay on or after the 11th October.

Many thanks,

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

We are going to offer some short-term loans of Chromebook laptops for families with students in Kinder to year 9 for use during the pandemic. If your child is unable to work or attend Zoom sessions, due to inadequate computer access, you can apply for one by writing a short paragraph explaining the issue to Miss Gray at tgray@victoriaschool.edu.mx . She will review your case and send more details concerning the rules and procedure for collecting them.

Regards,

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

I hope you had a wonderful day yesterday celebrating Independence (at home!).

Three important messages today.

Firstly, a reminder that Miss Bircumshaw is hosting the Primary Parent Session, "How to Support your Children's Learning at Home" at 3 p.m. today. Don’t miss it!

Here are the details for this session:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/94561170115?pwd=SWlYSjBFV3ZtZm1WbmRFTDllTGNFdz09

Meeting ID: 945 6117 0115

Passcode: 17092020

Secondly, we have our virtual VICTORIA’s Got Talent show tomorrow evening at 6 p.m.

The codes to get in are:

ID: 92201376347

Password: 111111

It would be fantastic to see as many of you as possible supporting our performers!

Lastly, a final reminder to fill in the questionnaire. Please click HERE for Primary and HERE for Secondary/Prepa. The questionnaire for Sec/Prepa includes an ‘opt-in’ option to receive written reports for your children at the end of September, so please take the time to give us your opinion and check the box to receive those reports. If you decide not to ‘opt-in’, you will not receive written reports at the end of this month.

Many thanks,

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

We have two messages for you today.

Miss Bircumshaw would like to invite you to the Primary Parent Session she will be hosting on Thursday 17th September at 3 p.m.

"How to Support your Children's Learning at Home"

Here are the details for this session:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/94561170115?pwd=SWlYSjBFV3ZtZm1WbmRFTDllTGNFdz09

Meeting ID: 945 6117 0115

Passcode: 17092020

The second message is from Dr Hiley. He sent out a questionnaire in last Friday’s newsletter asking for your feedback on the new systems which VICTORIA School has put in place this term. Please click HERE for Primary and HERE for Secondary/Prepa to let us know your opinion! Don’t forget that Kinder will be arranging individual meetings with each family.

See you Thursday!

Dear Parents,

We have two big events to inform you of:

1. Graduation: We are going to have a small ceremony for our 2019-2020 years 7 and 10 students on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. to celebrate their graduations from Primary and Secondary respectively. It will include speeches and teacher tributes.

2. VICTORIA'S GOT TALENT: On Friday 18th Sept, we will be running an Independence themed online talent show. Categories for parents, students and teachers! One-minute per performance. See student emails and social media for more details.

Hope you can be at both!

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

Tomorrow, Monday 31st August, our admin offices will open a little later than usual due to a sanitization of the premises. This is carried out for the well-being of our staff and those of you who eventually drop by to submit documents or collect computers and other materials. Our admin staff will be available from 12 midday to 3 p.m.

Thank you.

Dear Parents,

It was lovely to see so many of you in the meetings today. Thank you for your patience - I know that there have been both some miscommunication, and global problems with Zoom today. I think everything has now been resolved!

There will be an Parents’ Association meeting on Wednesday at 3 p.m. (details: ID: 945 9514 7646 Password: 194536). All parents are welcome, and will get the chance to vote for the PA Committee.

We have had several parents asking for teachers’ personal telephone numbers today. Just a quick reminder that none of our staff can give their numbers to parents. All communication needs to be made through the official channels (email, Google Classroom, through Lety Ochoa or Pilar Salum at reception). In Kinder, Miss Carla is the administrator of the Whatsapp group, which can also be used for general enquiries.

Our school calendar, as you can imagine, is uncertain, but please find some tentative dates below:

Monday 24th August - Start of Autumn Term

Wednesday 16th September - No Classes

Monday 2nd - Friday 6th November - Qualitative Evaluation Week

Monday 16th November - No Classes

Friday 18th December - Last day of Autumn Term

Monday 11th January - First day of Spring Term

Monday 1st February - No Classes

Monday 15th March - No Classes

Friday 26th March - Last day of Spring Term

Monday 12th April - First day of Summer Term

Wednesday 5th May - No Classes

Friday 9th July - Last day of Summer Term

Best wishes,

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

Don't forget, classes start tomorrow! Here are the links: Kinder / Primary / Secondary and Prepa AND we also have Parent Teacher Meetings (click on the link to see the timetable) Parent Teacher Group Meetings 24th August.

We hope to see you all tomorrow!

Dear Parents,

We now have ready Timetables for the 2020/2021 academic year starting on Monday 24th August. All students have been sent their timetables and you can also link to them via our website:

Kinder

Primary

Sec/Prepa

Another important thing to note is the class lists (here you can find out if your child is in ‘B’ or ‘Y’. Here are the Kinder and Primary groups (Secondary/Prepa are on the Timetables):

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14R-CQHxjeRYlmnSLVPU6T5dnRrN_UY0MuI776a91LHU/edit?usp=sharing

These are new timetables and might cause a bit of confusion - but feel free to ask anything of either Miss Bull, Miss Bircumshaw, Mr Sloan or myself.

We also have our very important year group meetings programmed for the 24th and 25th of August. This is a chance to meet the new teachers, learn about the timetables, find out how the learning programme will work, and ask any specific questions which you might have. We will also be selecting parent class representatives for our APF during these meetings. Please check the Zoom meetings and codes in the image below.

I hope that you are getting used to our new systems and way of working. We have certainly been extremely impressed with the attitude of all of our students during these two weeks.

With my best wishes as always,

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

Please find a short video that explains some of the basics of what you will need to do when using Google Classroom with your children. There will also be a Q & A session on the basics of using Classroom on Wednesday 19th August at 3 p.m.

Click on the link:

Watch Video: Los Básicos de Google Classroom / Basics of Google Classroom

Zoom Meeting:

https://zoom.us/j/92067015443?pwd=ZXJzUVFSUUhEdlFqSWFLTldEY2VBdz09

Meeting ID: 920 6701 5443

Passcode: 590475

See you tomorrow!

Mr Devlin

Dear Parents,

It was with great relief and delight to hear today that Cambridge will respect the predicted grades awarded to our exam students by their teachers. Our year 11s, 12s and 13s will now be rewarded with the grade they deserve for their hard work throughout the academic year. Congratulations.

Tomorrow we will be sending out the finalised timetables for the 2020/2021 cycle.

Keep posted!

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

This academic year we shall be working with you and your children to encourage your participation in the online learning process. An important aspect of this is access to a device to participate in the Zoom sessions and Google Classroom activities.

We would like you to complete this short questionnaire to help us understand the needs of families within the VICTORIA community.

Please click on the link to answer the questionnaire English version. With any questions or comments on this matter, please contact Anthony Devlin (adevlin@victoriaschool.edu.mx).

Kind regards,

Anthony Devlin

Dear Parents,

Happy first day of our Summer Transition.

Some fantastic news to start with. I am delighted to announce that we will continue to support the VICTORIA community with a 10% discount for September's monthly fees. Please pay punctually (for late payers, the discount will be 5% after the 10th September).

We are hosting further Parent Webinars this week, during which you can ask questions about more specific areas of the school. Here are the codes:

Primary:

Time: Tuesday Aug 11, 3 p.m.

Meeting ID: 988 6431 3541 Passcode: 753251

Secondary

Time: Wednesday Aug 12, 3 p.m

Meeting ID: 936 2875 6433 Passcode: 753251

Prepa

Time: Thursday Aug 13th, 3 p.m.

Meeting ID: 991 8341 5629 Passcode: 753251

We have several extracurricular activities happening this week. Primary conversation classes are happening throughout the school day, as in this Timetable. All Primary classes now have Zoom codes attached to the timetable on the website

We also have English conversation classes after school for Secondary and Prepa, from 2:30-3:10 p.m., along with exam workshops for our years 10 and 12. The details are here.

Wishing all of our families the very best of luck for today, and I will catch you in the webinars.

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us for yesterday’s webinar. If you couldn’t make it live, here (https://sites.google.com/victoriaschool.edu.mx/covid19/comunicados?authuser=0) is the recording. The students and new parents webinars will also be posted shortly to our Covid Information site. Following the success of these sessions, we will be running further webinars for parents of Primary (Tuesday 11th August), Secondary (Wednesday 12th August) and Prepa (Thursday 13th August) when you can tune in and have more specific questions answered.

Important information for the start of the year: Our 2-week ‘Bonus Transition Period Summer School’ starts on Monday 10th before the official 2020/2021 academic year starts on Monday 24th August. It is important that you make a note of the procedures for Monday (below), as well as the Timetables for the next two weeks in Kinder, Primary, and Secondary/Prepa. (https://sites.google.com/view/institutobilinguevictoria/online-learning?authuser=0)

Also, take a look at ‘A Typical Day Online’ (https://sites.google.com/view/institutobilinguevictoria/a-day-online?authuser=0) to see what a schedule might look like. Of course remember that Timetables will change on 24th when the new cycle begins and students move up a grade.

That’s all for now, folks. Keep checking your emails, keep checking the website, and let’s continue supporting each other as a VICTORIA Community!

Best wishes,

Dr Hiley

Monday 10th August - Procedures

Kinder

• Enter the Classroom for the same group as last year (Tigers or Crocodiles). Check the activities

• Then, get ready to see your friends! Tigers (Nursery) will have your first Zoom session with Miss Carla at 10-10:15 a.m. Crocodiles (Reception) will have your first Zoom session with Miss Bull at 12-12:15 p.m.

Primary

• All Primary Zoom meeting at 9-9:15 a.m. with Miss Bircumshaw and Miss Quesnel:

Meeting ID: 987 6671 2980 Password: 534545

• Enter the Classroom for your year group last year. If you are not in the Classroom, check your emails, or email your class teacher, Miss Bircumshaw or Miss Quesnel. Here is a list of the teachers for each year group:

• Check your activities for the day. Here you can see a timetable

• Check the time and code for your form group meeting here

• Get ready to see your classmates and teachers!

On Tuesday 11th, you will start the normal Zoom session timetable for your year group here in column B .This will be your timetable until August 21st.

Secondary / Prepa

• Whole Secondary and Prepa Zoom meeting at 9-9:15 a.m. with Mr Sloan and Mrs Clemens.

Meeting ID: 952 9012 3161 Password 200969

• Into vertical form groups 9:15-9:45 a.m.. You will find the code for your class in your form group’s Google Classroom. If you do not know who your form teacher is, you can see here. You can email them or use Google Chat if you have problems accessing. You can also speak to Mrs Clemens on Google Chat or via Zoom to check details.

• 10 a.m. first Zoom class from this timetable. Check your Google Classroom for the link for that Zoom session. You will get the instructions for the plenary during this session.

• If you are not in a Google Classroom for this subject, check your emails, then let your class teacher, Mr Sloan or Mrs Clemens know.

• At 12 p.m., go to your next subject’s Zoom session. You will find the codes in the Google Classroom for that subject.

On Tuesday 11th, you will continue with the timetable above at 9 a.m. until August 21st.

Hi Everyone,

We hope you can join us for our Question and Answer Webinars this week. Here are the details:

Parents

Wednesday 5th Aug 3 p.m.

Zoom ID: 970 9816 9689

Password: 028785

Students

Thursday 6th Aug 2 p.m.

Zoom ID: 982 7132 0566

Password: 098585

New Parents

Thursday 6th Aug 3 p.m

Zoom ID: 942 9516 1575

Password: 774041

Also, parents of students in years 10, 11 &12, please remind your children to PLEASE answer the questionnaire sent to them by Mr Sloan about their Options for the 2020-2021 academic year as soon as possible!

See you soon,

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

Well, 'back to school' is fast approaching and our Leadership Team and staff are all working extremely hard to prepare the best possible education for your children from August 10th. If you check out our dedicated Covid-19 site (https://sites.google.com/view/institutobilinguevictoria), you will find lots of information on alternative scenarios, learning strategies and all of our past communications to parents.

We are working on an exciting project to procure laptops for all of our Prepa students, as we focus our attention not just on where education is now - but where education is going in the future. Keep your eyes peeled for more news on this.

Next week is a full training week for all of our staff. We will be offering a host of exciting sessions, including the opportunity for our teachers to become Google-certified, workshops about online live classes, feedback and assessment, and presentations on Child Protection, Flipped Classrooms, and Online Etiquette! I know that our teachers are fully motivated and hungry to start up again.

As you know, our teaching assistants, admin, cleaning and maintenance teams have been working at school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. since Monday last week. Although it has been great to see some of you at school, I must remind you that school is ONLY open for immediate and pertinent needs. If you need to pay tuition or re-enrolment fees, please deposit or transfer to our Bancomer account. If you would like to pay at school with your credit card, please come alone. This also applies to those families that need to collect or submit any kind of paperwork. If you come to school with your children, spouse, relatives etc. they must remain in the car. We also ask that you deal with whatever business or paperwork is necessary as quickly as possible. These precautions have been taken to protect our employees and the general VICTORIA community.

We are looking forward to a fantastic new term.

Dr Hiley

Dear Parents,

We hope you are enjoying the break. It has been a real pleasure to catch up with so many students for the live English conversation classes that we have been holding.

Our Heads of Kinder, Primary, and Secondary/Prepa are working hard putting together the learning programmes for the alternative scenarios which we could be faced with in August. Please keep checking our website and reading your emails. Remember that you can contact any of us whenever you need to (contact list).

Our new foreign teachers have now got their visa appointments scheduled in their corresponding Mexican embassies and are excited to arrive in Tequisquiapan soon and meet our students. We look forward to welcoming Mr Manning (Secondary English), Miss Thacker (Secondary English), Miss Conner (Secondary Art) and Mr Hilton (Primary).

In other staffing news, Lourdes Pruneda will be leaving VICTORIA to accept a fantastic opportunity to be Academic Coordinator of the new Prepa that is planned to open at Ceickor. Lourdes has been an amazing presence in our school for 24 years, and we will miss her greatly. Miss Ornelas has been appointed as our new Head of Spanish and will do a superb job in this new position. Congratulations to them both!

We are working on a very exciting new project for our new cohort of Prepa students. I have sent them all a short Google Form to complete. Could parents of all current years 10, 11 and 12 students please ask them to check their emails? Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Hiley

Dear Year 10 Parents,

We will shortly be sending out information about different possible scenarios for the return to classes at VICTORIA (presencial, hybrid and all online). However, I want to specifically address year 10 parents to reassure you that we have put several measures in place to maximise the learning in year 11 and be able to complete the IGCSE exams in May 2021.

Of course, we want to go back to physical classes as soon as possible, but must wait for instructions from the Departments for Health and Education before we are able to do so. In the meantime, we have carefully reviewed all the feedback sent to us (a summary of which will be available on our website) and adapted our programmes accordingly. We are confident that the strategies we are going to implement from August will address some of your concerns.

Firstly, we have established the following core principles for all students:

• Block-based learning with sufficient time allowed for students to complete a variety of learning activities. This gives the flexibility for students to work in their own time, but still study a subject in-depth.

• Greater interaction and opportunities for live Zoom sessions. Each block will give the chance for students to go online and interact/ask questions with their classmates and teachers. Teachers will be able to elaborate or give support on the class material.

• Increased accountability for the students and high expectations. Students who are not completing work will be contacted weekly by a member of our Leadership Team.

• More regular feedback to students and parents both written and via one-on-one Zoom chats. There will be a weekly chance for you or your child to chat with their teachers, along with a written monthly summary of their progress.

• Time given to consider the emotional impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

I know that several of you are concerned about the impact of the current situation on your child’s IGCSE exams. The measures above should allow our year 11 students to stay on track and cover all the material necessary to sit their exams. In addition, we will also be putting in place extra curricular exam workshops to allow for more catch-up and support where needed. Friday will also be dedicated to exam workshops and feedback to allow students to make up any content they have missed, or clarify any doubts about their subjects. Teachers will be focusing on teaching exam content and giving students ample opportunity to apply this knowledge through a range of learning activities, including practice exams.

In year 11, the grading system also changes, and students are given a monthly numerical grade reflecting their effort in the work, and a letter grade reflecting their academic achievement in relation to their IGCSEs. This will allow both you as parents and us as teachers to intervene with extra support as soon as we see a student is not making the expected progress.

Some of you have been concerned about a drop in your child’s English levels over this online learning period. Our summer English conversation classes will also continue once we begin classes in August, which will be useful for some of our students to help with their exam preparation. All exam subjects will focus heavily on practising written and spoken English when we return, as well as plenty of opportunity for students to speak. We will also be continuing with our English Intervention programme, for those that require extra support. Year 11 students will be given priority in these sessions.

Alongside the measures we are putting in place as a school, we are also in touch with Cambridge and will continue to work with them. In the last exam session, exams were cancelled and students will be awarded the predicted grades of the teachers. Cambridge acknowledged the quality of our evidence and consistency of our preparation. As this is a global pandemic, examination boards across the world will make adjustments to the depth of curricula and the difficulty of exams so as to not prejudice the students. For example, only this week, UK exam boards announced that grades are more lenient this year. I don't believe that our year 11 students will be put in a difficult position by Cambridge and we will continue to monitor the situation. Should we be in the (doubtful) situation that there are students not able to do their exams in June, we also have the possibility of entering them for the November session in 2021.

During the transition period from year 10 to 11, we will be working closely with year 10 to ensure they are aware of our expectations and of all the support strategies we have available for them. Each subject will provide them with a study plan, detailing what they will be expected to cover, along with feedback about which areas they need to develop.

As always, your continued support at home is essential in helping them during this difficult year. We understand that this is a difficult situation, and that many students are missing out on the social aspects of school. However, we hope that being able to “meet” their classmates online on a more regular basis will go some way to reducing the impact of this. Of course, as parents, some of you may choose to create small study groups either online or in person if this is something you think will help your child.

With encouragement from school and home, and the adapted strategies we have implemented, we are confident that our students will be prepared in April 2021.

Dear Parents,

I have outlined below our school calendar for the next two months to try and give you as much certainty as possible. Unfortunately, we are still dependent on indications from the relevant health and education authorities before being able to give more concrete information. Our return depends on Queretaro being in the “green” stage of the traffic light system, a decision which is outside our control here at VICTORIA. Like many of you, we are hoping for a return to presencial classes, or at least a hybrid learning model, as soon as possible. See below for more details.

I would like to assure you of our commitment as a school to the following:

• The health and safety of the VICTORIA community will always come first, and we will only welcome students and staff back to our premises when we have all necessary measures in place.

• Students’ return will not be compulsory, and we will put measures in place to offer distance learning for vulnerable groups even when presencial classes start again.

• Any online learning that we offer will have a greater focus on interaction between students and the teacher and an increased amount of Zoom sessions.

All of our VICTORIA staff miss the students and want to get back to school as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will go ‘above and beyond’ to continue to give the best possible education.

With my best wishes,

Dr Hiley

July

20th - 31st English Conversation Classes daily 9 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Formation of COVID-19 School Health Committee.

20th - 31st Full cleaning & sanitisation of premises and preparation for return to school.

27th - 31st CTE Training for Teachers

August

3rd - 7th All Staff Training Week, including:

• Live Parent Webinar Q&A Sessions for Kinder, Primary, Secondary & Prepa, and all school.

• Live Student Webinar Q&A Sessions.

• Full Covid-19 Training for All Staff

• Continued CTE Training

• Intensive training on delivery and assessment of online and blended learning techniques

10th - 21st Students return to classes to complete 2019/2020 academic year

• The aim of this three week period is to consolidate learning for the 2019/2020 academic year, fill in any gaps in learning, perform end of year assessments and diagnostic tests, and prepare for the 2020/2021 academic year.

• This will be presencial, online or a mixture of both (depending on the situation with respect to Covid-19 and the ‘semáforo’). If we have the green light, year groups will be split by surname and come in on alternate days (Friday is for extra catch-up).

• Any online learning will have a greater focus on interaction and will include more Zoom sessions.

• We will send further information about the plans for this “end-of-year”, including timetables, within the next two weeks.

21st Day set aside for one-on-one Zoom interviews between teachers and students/parents.

24th Start of 2020/2021 academic year

• Zoom parent year-group meetings during which teachers and directors will be introduced and expectations/procedures for the school year will be explained.

• We obviously hope that the 2020/2021 academic year will be presencial, however, we have prepared alternative scenarios including fully online, and mixed scenarios including students coming in on alternate days or alternate weeks. In each scenario, we are taking into consideration the diverse needs of our student-body. A distance learning option will be provided for vulnerable groups even if we have returned to presencial classes, and all online elements will include a greater focus on interaction and an increased number of live Zoom opportunities.

Hello All,

School has been closed for a while, but we are open again, working a 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. schedule for the rest of this week. If you do come in, you will have your temperature taken and be asked to use antibacterial gel and your face-mask.

Thanks to everyone who has signed up to the extra English classes - what a super response! The classes start on Monday (20th), and details of these sessions will be sent to participating families later this week.

Lots of bars, cafes and restaurants have opened up and Tequisquiapan is busy again. Whilst this is a welcome boost to the local economy, I would urge everyone to take a lot of care and continue to follow correct hygiene procedures. Cases are still rising across the country and Queretaro remains as an 'orange traffic light'. We need to reach green to return to presencial classes. VICTORIA has plans in place for all potential scenarios in August. For now, though, we must all do our bit to reduce the spread of the virus.

With my very best wishes.

Dr Hiley

Dear All,

Our first day of All Staff training was preceded by the government announcement about the school calendar. As expected, there will not be an immediate return to presencial classes, and 24th August has been stated as the start date for the 2020/2021 school year.

Here at VICTORIA, however, we want to start with our new online system and get our students in front of teachers as soon as possible. To this end, I would like to reassure all of our community that we will still be offering live online education as planned from the 10th August. The two-week period before the 24th August will serve as a 'summer school' transition period (as initially planned) to allow students to adjust to our new system, conduct reviews of past work, and prepare for the next cycle. The focus will be on core subjects and examination subjects for Y9-Y12, and the timetable will be as highlighted on our site.

Keep your eyes peeled throughout the rest of the week for more announcements, and I look forward to seeing our entire student body ready to go at 9 a.m. on Monday 10th August.

See you soon!

Dr Hiley