ASB Making Waves and Moving Quickly on Primer International School Waters

Welcome to the American School of Barcelona! Our school is making waves in the Barcelona and international communities with our impressive International Baccalaureate test results, upcoming facility projects, and our new foundation governance structure. The quality of our teaching staff and our strong international student body are creating a school much in demand, recognized locally and internationally. We were honored to have the U.S. Ambassador to Spain visit the school in 2010 to recognize our exemplary community service programs.

ASB’s vision is to continue its legacy of implementing exemplary global practices in education for our friendly community of international and Spanish families and to become one of the premier international schools in Europe. On our website you will see how the quality of the school’s faculty and staff, the rigorous curriculum, as well as the richness of the Barcelona community all combine to make the ASB experience very special. Here are some highlights:

High Achievement in the High School International Baccalaureate (IB) Program

ASB is an International Baccalaureate World School offering the IB Diploma Program. Our school has a proven track record of success with our students scoring well above the international average. Students have the choice of taking the IB or the local Selectividad program for Spanish Universities in 11th and 12th grade. Our students have also scored well above the Spanish average on the Selectividad.

Unique Middle School Program

We are one of the very few schools in Barcelona to have a stand-alone middle school program for 12 to 14 year-old students with its own middle school principal and advisory program. This structure allows us to cater to the unique developmental needs of young adolescents.

Progressive and Character Based Elementary School

Our elementary school is known for its warm, caring atmosphere and focus on literacy and project-based learning. In addition, we have monthly character assemblies and lessons to help students become responsible global citizens.

Early Childhood Center ECC (3-5 year olds) – Rich Blend of Reggio Emilia and Standards Based Education Approach

Our ECC classrooms have two teachers per class and provide the students a place to explore and discover their immediate world while teaching communication skills. "Hand in Hand" is our successful parent and staff collaboration in which parents share their hobbies and expertise in class throughout the school year.

Technology and Science Labs

The school has integrated technology projects that are supported by fixed and mobile computer labs, interactive whiteboards, document- based cameras and a soon to be on-line grading system. Also, we use technology to regularly communicate with our community through our popular weekly digital news bulletin, The Lantern. We also have two fully-equipped science labs for our students to experiment and do hands-on work.

Facilities

We have a large campus with fields and recreational space. In addition, The ASB Board of Directors has selected the prestigious architectural firm, MesturaArquitectos, to develop and design a state-of-the-art expansion of the ASB Facility common spaces. The final plan will be presented to parents in the fall of 2010.

Teacher Collaboration and Professional Development

ASB´s highly qualified faculty meets weekly and on half days to discuss students, their work, instruction, curriculum, and broader school improvement goals. Staff members also regularly attend international professional development conferences.

Local and Global Connections

Students have numerous opportunities to learn while having an impact on the local and international communities through an increasing number of community service projects. There are also opportunities for students to exhibit their learning to a larger audience, such as our visual arts work display at a downtown Barcelona art gallery. Furthermore, our students participate in international trips and a Mediterranean sports league. Our Model United Nations students, for example, attend international conferences in different European cities every year. Finally, although most instruction at ASB is in English, we offer rigorous classes in Spanish and Catalan, as well as extensive language learning support.

We are proud of what ASB has to offer and are eager to share our community with you. We invite you to explore our website and find out more about us.

Sincerely

Mark Pingitore
Director