Dear parents,
I hope you are all safe and well.
This letter replaces the Covid letter as we have no questions to answer from you the parents.
21 years ago, in August 1999, 2 people who had never met before began to form a friendship as well as a professional relationship: Mrs Salmon and Mrs Batchelor.
Over the years we have acquired a variety of descriptors (respectfully!) used by the Primary children– the fat one and the thin one, the blonde lady and the dark one, the Northerner and the Birmingham girl, the young one and the old one, the mummy and her daughter! You can work out for yourselves which was which!
We did become professional colleagues and firm friends. We have laughed together, sometimes cried together, and sometimes disagreed with each other. But we always shared the same belief: your children must come first.
Mrs Salmon leaves our school with our blessing. She has helped to shape the Primary school into the wonderful school we know today. We thank her for all her hard work and dedication, and I wish her on your behalf every success in her new venture back in the UK. Stay safe, Mrs Salmon, and keep Aloha College close to your heart.
Change can sometimes create fear. There is no need to be concerned about the future of the Primary School. We need to look positively at this challenge/situation and find a new Headteacher who can help take this section of the college to the next level of excellence. Please trust me and the governing body – we will find the right person for the job, no matter how long it takes. Meanwhile, I will be watching over the Primary section even more carefully, supported by a dedicated staff who will continue to work tirelessly in the best interests of your children. We have advertised this position internally and worldwide – let’s see who is good enough to lead the Primary School! I will keep you informed.
Thank you, Mrs Salmon, we will miss you.
Christmas Jumper Day
Remember that all staff and children are invited to wear a Christmas jumper on Monday. Those who do so do not need to wear school uniform.
Raffle Tickets
Thank you for all your support with the raffle – we will draw the winning tickets on Monday. The lucky winners will be informed on Tuesday. I have my eye on the weekend hotel break, once Covid is all over. Fingers crossed!
5 working days left
As you read this newsletter, I hope you are not yet travelling. We have 5 working days still to go so please ensure your children attend until the official break-up day on Friday 18 December. The next and last newsletter of the year will be a general message next Saturday to wish you and our 800 children a wonderful Christmas holiday.
Thank you to you all for your loyal support.
Have a lovely weekend.
Elizabeth Batchelor
Principal
PRIMARY SCHOOL
Dear Parents,
I have just returned from the Nursery where the children excitedly shared their gingerbread video and song with Mrs Batchelor and myself. What a brilliant way to start the day.. excited, happy children and a gift of a gingerbread man!
Earlier this week I was treated to a funny Christmas poem written by the talented Aurelia in 4KFR. As you can see this independent piece of writing is definitely worth sharing. “The Christmas Calamities” by Aurelia Howard, 4KFR
We are coming to the end of what has been an incredible term! In September there were many doubts. How can the children learn under such strict restrictions and wear a mask all day? I assure you that they can! The children this term have been amazing, showing their adaptability and resilience better than most adults. There are times when they have needed reassurance but that has been the role of our wonderful teachers, not just to teach but to care and to prioritise the wellbeing of all our children. I always like to look for a positive in darker times, one of these being much stronger relationships being developed between the teachers and you, the Parents, with your children at the centre. As I have always said the ACM family is a team and an important part of what makes our school so special.
So, it is with pride and a tear in my eye that I shall be leaving you all next Friday as I embark on my new journey with my family in the UK. ACM will always remain very special to me as I have seen many, many changes throughout my 21 years, all of them leading to this wonderful, internationally recognised school we have today.I wish you all the very best for 2021 and beyond and send wishes of hope that the future will be much brighter. As I say to the children you are all special!
Take care, stay safe and goodbye!
And finally, a few reminders for next week
- Remember that Monday is Christmas Jumper Day!
- Monday is the BIG day! The Aloha Christmas Raffle Prize Draw will take place and we will draw the raffle in front of a selection of pupils and staff. Remember to bring your tickets and good luck everyone!
- As he said in his letter to Aloha children Santa is coming to town… all Primary children have been posting their letters to Santa all week.
- Thank you for all your donations to the Give a Gift Campaign. Until Friday 18 December we invite you to continue to be very generous and participate in the Aloha Christmas Solidarity Action by donating non-perishable food that we will deliver to Cáritas.
Aloha Value – RESPECT
December’s Personal Learning Goal – To be a COLLABORATOR which includes being a good team member – TEAM ALOHA!
Yours sincerely
Kathryn Salmon – Headteacher, Primary
kathryn.salmon@aloha-college.com
SECONDARY SCHOOL
Dear Parents,
It has been nearly four years since I wrote my first newsletter. During these four years, I have had wonderful days as well as many frustrations. However, I have managed to write a new reflection every Saturday, week after week and month after month. Today is one of those days when I am struggling to find a topic to write about. It is not only the topic of my newsletter; everything is harder than usual today and I feel like throwing in the towel!
Last week, I met a Year 13 student to talk about university applications. She felt exactly the same as me. Nothing seemed to be going in the right direction for her either. Funnily enough, I spoke to a friend yesterday whose business was experiencing difficulties and he said he was ready to quit.
In a short space of time, I have encountered three situations with a common theme: Giving up!
What can one do when feeling this way?
When this happens to me, I tend to think back to the moment when my project started. Let’s take my newsletter as an example. I am grumpy now because I have to write another reflection this week and I do not know what I am going to talk about. “I must have covered every single topic that exists”, I say to myself. This is when I force myself to remember the joy and thrill I experienced when I wrote my first one. I even have a newsletter fan club! Going back to the beginning brings into focus the purpose of my endeavour.
Another important aspect is to accept that discomfort, like many things in life, is temporary. Nothing lasts forever! I am sure that many of our students disagree with me because they are madly in love and think that nothing can ever break their love story. I also believe that one must take positive steps towards making rough times temporary. Time does not magically turn bad moments into good ones. It is us who make a conscious decision to tackle discomfort.
Life is full of phases. Some are better than others. When we understand that everything is temporary and will eventually end, we will appreciate our moments a little bit more.
I hope you have a nice weekend.
Francisco Escobar
Headteacher, Secondary
