American School of Barcelona

International Day Quickly Approaching

ASB's highly popular International Day is quickly approaching! It will be held on Saturday, May 7th, from 1:00-4:00. p.m. at the school During this community building day there will be numerous booths with food, games and cultural items from a wide variety of countries around the world. There will also be a parade of nations, sports, music, dance and other exciting events. We look forward to seeing you there!

International Day Held on June 12

One of the most exciting events at The American School of Barcelona, International Day, took place on June 12. It featured about 15 country or region tables with food samples, games and information; a variety show with student and parent acts; and a raffle for a sweatshirt autographed by Lionel Messi. The weather was great, the turn out was big, the food was delicious and the acts in the variety show were dynamic! Most importantly, ASB students, parents and staff were able to celebrate the school's rich cultural diversity. And bravo to the ASB PTA for putting on another wonderful even!

Surviving Your Child's Sexual Development

ASB's next Parent Education Workshop, "Surviving Your Child's Sexual Development", will be held on Tuesday, November 23rd at 2:45pm. Mary Crouch will be presenting facts to help parents understand the physical and emotional changes their children will be going through in the future from early puberty to the teenage years. This workshop is part of a series of monthly workshops organized by the ASB Events Committee (formerly know as PTA). For more information, see:

PTA-sponsored Workshops for Parents a Big Hit

This year's final PTA-sponsored workshop on topics of interest for parents was held on May 18 in front of another packed audience of parents. Psychiatrist Dr. Manuel López, ASB Counselor Gloria Keegan and ASB Director Mark Pingitore provided valuable insight into the problem of bullying in general terms, and then outlined ASB's policies related to the problem.

The monthly workshops at the school have been a great success. Topics have ranged from second language acquisition to child psychology, from understanding chidren's sexuality to how to promote a healthy diet for children, among others.

Thank you to the organizers and the presenters for a job well done! And, it goes without saying, thank you to all the people who supported the series through their consistent attendance.

Finally, we are delighted to announce that the PTA plans to continue the series next year. We look forwarded to another exciting series of workshops.

Ski Week and Winter Camp Coming Up Soon

The American School of Barcelona will hold its annual Ski Week in mid-February. Grades four to twelve will ski at beautiful La Masella mountain near Puigcerdà in the Pyrenees from Sunday, February 12 to Friday, February 17. The Winter Camp for grades PK3 to grade three will take place at the lovely Llunaesports Masia in Vallgorgina from Tuesday, February 14, to Friday, February 17. Interested parents should contact Activities Coordinator Marta Vernet at mvernet@a-s-b.com for more information.

Ski Trip and Winter Camp

ASB students of all ages will have the opportunity for winter fun during the "Semana Blanca" (White Week, or Ski Week) - the week of February 20th. Students from grades four and up will be able to ski for five days in the Pyrenees at the Pas de la Casa ski resort. The exciting trip for these students runs from February 20 to February 25, and features unlimited use of all ski lifts, three hours of daily skiing with an instructor, two hours of free skiing in a group, round trip bus transportation from Barcelona, après ski activities, diplomas, an end-of-trip party and insurance coverage for all participants.

The winter camp for younger children, from pre-school to third grade, will run from February 22 to February 25 and it will take place at a lovely Masia called Llunaesports in Vallgorguina near Sant Celoni in the Maresme region. The objective of the camp is to complement the children's development with activities that encourage nature appreciation, independence and cooperation. Activities include nature walks, outdoor games, and art projects.

ASB Involved in NY-BCN Sailing Race

Two eighteen meter sailing boats with three crew members will race from New York to Barcelona in early April, 2010, and students from the American School of Barcelona will be involved in educational activities surrounding the race. The NY-BCN race is being dubbed as the first record establishing race between two cities and will feature two boats named after their sponsors, Estrella Damm and W Hotels. The race should last 20 to 25 days.

In addition to making ties between the two cities closer and promoting them internationally, there are a number of educational activities around the event which promote the sport of sailing. For example, Catalan photographer Avelino Pi's works (which focus mainly on sailing) will be on display at an exhibition in New York City. In addition, a number of students from a few schools in New York and Barcelona will have the opportunity to visit the boats before the race begins and then communicate with the crews via the internet during the race. This will allow them to learn about sailing and navigation, as well as a number of closely related fields such as the study of weather and ocean currents. Jennifer Parker's grade eight science classes and Lindsay McBride's grade nine biology classes are participating on behalf of ASB.

Click here to read about and see ASB faculty and students on the race's website.

Click here for the PDF version of an aritcle in "Barcelona World Race Duo" magzine highlighting ASB involvement in the race:

For general iinformation on the race and events related to it, click on www.ny-bcn.org

Photo: ASB grade nine student Marina Cano, an experienced sailor herself, and teacher Lindsay McBride with two members of the Estrella Damm team at the BC-NY race press conference at Barcelona City Hall on January 21, 2010.

Raising Children Who Can!

On Tuesday, December 14th at 2:45 p.m. at ASB, Gloria Keegan will talk about how to help your child use good judgment, assume responsibility, communicate effectively, respect self and others, cooperate, develop self-esteem, and enjoy life. This presentation is part of a series of ASB parent education workshops given by experts within and outside the school. For more information on this presentation, click here:

ASB Teacher's Art on Display

Several works of art made by ASB Technical Drawing teacher and artist Javier Iranzo will be on display at the Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya in Vic from September 15 to October 31. For more information about the exhibition, click here. For general information about Mr. Iranzo's art, click here.

Second Year of English Outreach Kicks Off at ASB

Organizers and participants in the innovative English Outreach program met at ASB on September 23 to kick off the program for the 2010-11 school year. In the English Outreach Program, ASB ninth grade students assist English teachers in local public elementary schools. Last year, the program began as a pilot project with about twenty ASB students volunteering in P4 (pre-kinder) classes in seven schools here in Esplugues de Llobregt and in nearby Sant Joan Despi.

The innovative service learning program, in which ASB students provide a needed service to the local community AND learn a lot in the process, has received rave reviews from the students and schools participating, as well as from the representatives of the Catalan Department of Education in the Baix Llobregat region. The program provides ASB students with the opportunity take on a serious responsibility, learn important leadership skills, and have a real impact on the community. It also makes learning a lot more fun and motivating for the small children involved. And in the process, new networks are being created between the different institutions involved: ASB, the Department of Education, and the local schools.

As a result of the success of the program, this year, fifteen schools are participating (five in Sant Joan Despi, five in Esplugues, and now five in Sant Just Desvern). Now, instead of helping teach pre-school students, our students will be working with first graders. Furthermore, the local high school in Sant Just is providing five of its top students in English to be paired with ASB students in the Sant Just elementary schools. In fact, the program was so popular with participants last year that the number of ASB students applying for the program has sky-rocketed from twenty last year to forty this year.

The English Outreach Program is an excellent example of ASB's desire to make meaningful connections between the local and the global., to simultaneously be a resource for the community and to learn from it. English Outreach is a win-win program in which all participants benefit.

ASB students will begin assisting the local public school teachers in first grade classes on October 13. To see articles about the English Outreach Program published in various media, click below:

Article in Spanish

Article in English

Article in Catalan