Dear Parents,
Following the flyer sent out this week regarding our new school uniform, I would like to share with you some more information in my newsletter.
The photo that you have seen is just to give you an overview of the new uniform for Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 (Year 3 to Year 11 pupils – Primary and Secondary). Please do not be concerned if you are not quite clear as to what your child will be wearing – you will receive lots more details between now and the Graduation and Awards Ceremony.
The photo of the girl sitting does not clearly show the skirt, which will look like this:
Our own pupils felt that the pleated skirt was more comfortable to wear.
The Foundation and Key Stage 1 pupils will not wear the uniform in the picture: it will be less formal, but still smart.
As you will appreciate, these models are not real children!!!
Foundation Stage, Year 1 and Year 2 will not be expected to wear a tie or blazer. Years 3 to 6 will also wear the pinafore dress or trousers with the tie and blazer.
The sixth form uniform will have the least change. The yellow/blue tie will be replaced with a double striped tie in navy and light blue in order to distinguish them from the rest of the school. There will be an optional grey jumper for the colder weather.
The new PE kit / sportswear will look like this:
All the uniform will be unique to Aloha and will be embroidered with the school logo or initials ACM (Aloha College Marbella). It will not be available for purchase anywhere but the school shop. The new uniform will be on sale in August 2019, although it will not be compulsory until September 2020. So please note that pupils are able to wear their current uniform for one more academic year if they wish.
You will see some of our own pupils modelling the new uniform at the Graduation and Awards Ceremony.
It’s another exciting time for Aloha! If we continue to strive to be world leaders in child education, we need to look the part.
Thank you to all those who attended Family Fun Day – I think you will all agree it was a lovely event. We are grateful as ever to our lovely PTA mums for organising it.
I hope you have a relaxing weekend with your families.
Your sincerely
Elizabeth Batchelor
Principal
PRIMARY SCHOOL
Dear Parents,
This week an excited group of Year 4 pupils arrived at my office with an envelope. Inside was a letter from Miss Poole, one of the students from the University of South Wales, who joined the Primary School for a month in the Spring Term. Their excitement wasn’t just about the letter but, her words:
“thanks to all your hard work, I got a ‘first’ overall in every section of the work I completed with you at your school, which is the highest grade possible. Everyone at my University was so impressed with all the work we did!”.
The children were so proud that their work was praised at a university and they got a first! Another reason why it is so wonderful being the Primary Head at Aloha where the children are genuinely excited by success and not just their own!
Thank you for a great Family Fun Morning last Saturday and a special thank you to the PTA Mums and their helpers. Judging the cake competition proved to be very difficult for our panel so special congratulations go to our winners Alexandra Megharief 6WA and Nellija Sjöberg 4ES.
Attendance and Punctuality – Final assessmentsare starting soon and will take place until the end of term therefore it is vital that all pupils attend school every day. It is equally important therefore that your child arrives to school ready to line up at 8:55 h.
Y6 Transition Days – Next week Year 6 children embark upon another important step in their learning journey by taking part in the transition days (27-30 May). This will help familiarise and prepare them for Y7 and life in the Secondary School (timetable here and Y7 language choice here).
End-of-Term Talent Show – Auditions will be taking place soon for the final acts to perform in the end-of-term Assembly.
Your sincerely
Kathryn Salmon
Headteacher, Primary
SECONDARY SCHOOL
Dear Parents,
Throughout the course of our lives, we encounter situations in which we have to compete against other people; be it on the sports field, in a contest, achieving the best result in an exam or being offered a place at our first choice university. In all these situations, we seek victory: I win and you lose.
We often hear comments such as: “You have to be the best”, “You have to study at the best University in the world” or “You have to be cool to be part of this group”. When we grow up thinking in this way, we always see people as our opponents and, inevitably, compare ourselves to them.
Competing has one great advantage: it forces us to focus on winning and motivates us to work hard. However, it can also be dangerous when competitiveness is prevalent in all aspects of our lives. If our children understand victory as something that makes them superior to others, then defeat is naturally perceived as weakness, thus creating insecurity, frustration and anger.
Fear of failure may even lead to cheating. When a trophy or a big round of applause is the most important thing to us, winning can become an addiction and we will not care about what it takes to get to the top. Being competitive has limitations too; you are so focused on the end result that you forget to try your hardest.
Undoubtedly, we will face situations where there will be winners and losers. Do you remember the great Wimbledon final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on 6 July 2008 ? Never before had two players played tennis like that. Who won didn’t matter; the beauty of a match between two people who tried their hardest on the court was far more impressive. The spectators’ appreciation was not just for the winner, but to both players.
The most important victory comes when you just try your very best.
I hope you have a good weekend.
Yours sincerely,
Francisco Escobar
Headteacher, Secondary
