PARENT NEWSLETTER (2 – 5 DECEMBER)

Dear Parents,

What a day in store – our annual Christmas Bazaar!  As you read this Newsletter I hope that you are preparing to attend or are travelling to our Christmas Bazaar.  I know it is going to be another amazing day in the life of our Aloha College Marbella community. In next week’s newsletter I will prepare a summary of the event and share with you photos of some of the exciting activities of the day.  I hope we receive lots of money also for additional resources for your children. 

Here is a photo of Sasha, Year 3, whose mother Galina has donated lots of fabulous toys which you will be seeing this morning at the Bazaar.



Co-curricular programme

Our co-curricular programme is very important in the life of our wonderful school.  We try, with your help, to acknowledge our pupils’ successes outside of school. This week we congratulate Salvador Astolfi, Year 12, who last weekend won the “Gran Premio del CSN3*” at the Sotogrande Equestrian Club on his French mare “Roxane de la Beranger”.  This will help him qualify for next year’s European championships, to represent Spain. Salvador’s many years of dedication to horse riding have really paid off – well done, Salvador!



Secondly, we have 2 stars who are sisters – Sofia Axioti, Y7, and Mia Axioti, Y6, who came first and second respectively in the Malaga “Duatlon de Menores” (running and biking) last Sunday. I am extraordinarily proud of you both.

Sincere condolences

It is with great sadness that I inform you that 2 of our Primary pupils attended the funeral of their fathers during the last 2 weeks.  I am sure you will appreciate how difficult this must be for any person, but in particular for such young children. We offer our sincere support and condolences from our Aloha family to the children and mothers concerned.

Oxbridge candidates

The Year 13 pupils are busily making their choices for the universities they hope to attend in the future.  I am delighted to report that 4 of our pupils have been offered interviews at Oxford or Cambridge, two of the most prestigious universities in the world.

Emilio Hadjisotiriou – Biochemistry at Oxford
Jiaming Xiao – Architecture at Cambridge
Jieyi Yang – Computer Science at Cambridge
Olga Okhotinskaya- Human, Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge

We wish them every success at their interviews.

Uniform

Please may we ask you to be careful of how you dispose of your children’s old school uniform, as we do not want to see it being worn round Marbella by other people not connected with the school!  We have placed baskets on the ramp where you can dispose of any items that you no longer require. We will be sending old uniform to our charity school in Tanzania.

Thank you for your support in this matter.

School photos and sibling photos

All parents who have booked and paid for their childrens’ photos before Friday 29 November will receive them before Christmas.
If you would like to purchase your child’s photo pack (€17) you still have time; please leave a sealed envelope with the exact amount inside in Admin.  As the deadline for receiving them before Christmas was November 29, these photos will be delivered in January.
If you have booked sibling photos they will also be available for purchase on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 December from 8:30 to 9:30 h – 1 photo 15 X 20, €6.

Movember

Here I am with all my male teachers displaying their Movember moustaches, see Mr Escobar’s letter for the winner!
 
Thank you to all the teachers and children who participated so empathetically in this initiative, now a tradition at Aloha College.

I hope you have a lovely day at the Bazaar and a wonderful Sunday.

Yours sincerely

Elizabeth Batchelor

Principal


PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dear Parents,

As you receive this newsletter the Christmas Bazaar is probably well under way and hopefully, our special guest, Father Christmas, has arrived. The children have been so excited and have really enjoyed playing their part in the preparation by providing the wall decorations. I’m sure they will enjoy finding theirs on the wall if they haven’t already!

Thank you so much to the PTA and its helpers for their endless efforts and commitment in preparing for today’s event. Thank you also to all parents and children who donated items and their support of this traditional Aloha family event. The Children’s Prize Draw will take place next Wednesday 4 December on the top pitch at 11:00 h.

I would like to remind you that next weekend is a long holiday followed by a week of concerts in the Primary School. You are invited to attend all, not just your child’s Key Stage. It is still important for your child to be attending school as normal lessons are continuing, therefore I need to remind you that any future absences are requested in writing using this form.

Y1-2 International Schools Basketball Competition
Selected Year 1 and 2 children competed in friendly basketball games with teams from Swans, EIC, BSM and St Anthony’s. The children displayed excellent team work and there were some superb displays of basketball skills! We are proud of all children and know they will go on to be great players in the future! Another successful event at ACM! For a taste of such a fantastic morning have a look at our video here.


 BE KIND poster- (Mina Tobal 1GFL)

 

Aloha Value Focus this half term – CARE
Personal Goal Target for December – COMMUNICATION

Yours sincerely

Kathryn Salmon

Headteacher, Primary


SECONDARY SCHOOL

Dear Parents,

The theme for this newsletter has been on my mind for quite some time, as much as one year I would say. I blame our Head of English, Anthony Heath, for his inspirational approach towards a subject that  concerns us all: mental health, particularly men’s mental health.

It is not my intention to get into a debate on stereotypes; what I intend to do is raise awareness on mental health and highlight the importance of opening up when things do not go as well as one would hope.

Although less and less nowadays, we still live in a world full of misconceptions about male’s sensitivity. Masculinity and strength don’t tend to mix with the world of sensitivity and emotions. It seems that men are usually discouraged to display their feelings. Young boys who express them are immediately compared to girls in a negative context. How many times do we hear phrases such as “Boys don’t cry! – Man up! – Don ́t cry like a girl! – Be a man, get over it!”? I certainly have lost count!

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.  At our school, we want our students to understand that good mental health is important at all stages of life, from childhood through to adolescence and adulthood. This month there has been a buzz of activities relating to mental health, all with the aim of encouraging our students to talk and prioritise their emotional well-being. 

In PSHE lessons, students focused on body image, building resilience and coping with emotions. Shauna Gibson, an eating psychology coach, was brought in to speak to Key Stages 3,4 & 5 about body image and the effects of dieting. 

You might have noticed a number of our male teachers and students sporting interesting looking moustaches this month, clearly not for aesthetic reasons!  The aim of Movember is to raise awareness of men’s mental health, throughout the month of November. Our sixth form students attended a talk by Anthony Heath on men’s mental health followed by a Q&A with a group of male teachers on tips for self care. Next month, we will be running our third annual Wellbeing Day for our Year 13 students. 

Our mental health month might have ended, but our focus on mental health awareness has not. As your children spend most of their day at school, it is important that together we continue to raise awareness, educate them and give them the necessary tools to open dialogue about their mental health.  That way, your children will be better equipped to deal with the challenges and difficulties that life may bring.  

Your children have voted for the best teacher’s mustache. I am delighted to announce that our winner is:


Mr Domingo Morillas, History Teacher.

I hope you have  a nice weekend.

 

Yours sincerely,

Francisco Escobar

Headteacher, Secondary

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