Parent Newsletter November 2022

  • November 30, 2022
  • Category: Parent Newsletters
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Dear parents,

It seems that the school has suddenly come alive with the Christmas spirit. Lots of moms came to school on Monday to decorate our trees.

Christmas songs can be heard being rehearsed by our primary school children for the forthcoming productions.

In fact, many may have told you how Santa phoned me last week to see if he was invited to the Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, 3 December. He promised to attend and meet all the children from 12:30 onwards.

The APS moms are exceedingly busy with this exciting event, there is still time to donate chocolates, cakes, drinks, and other perishable items, you can even bring the food in on the same day.

I would like to introduce 3 members of staff who have recently joined Aloha College Marbella:

Marie Hodgson, Year 2 teacher

 

Mercedes Colmenar,  Head of Admissions

Mercedes will be working closely with Fatima Fernandez, who is also my Personal Assistant, as well as in charge of plenty more tasks.

Alejandra Soldevilla
New Part-time Receptionist

Congratulations to Anastasia Kononenko who is fast becoming a famous author. She is only 9 years old and has just completed her second book which has been published.

Anastasia’s book will be shared at the Christmas Bazaar.

More success from our Primary school pupils –  Alex and Catalina demonstrated their Taekwondo—skills with me. They have recently won medals in Malaga Open – Taekwondo ITF —

An artist

Daniil is quite an artist, below is a display of some of his artwork. 

Our Year 13 students are very busy preparing for their university applications, Pablo and Javier have already received invitations to attend an interview for the prestigious Oxford and Cambridge universities.  Good luck to both of them.

Javier Mendoza Guerrero y Pablo Benet Vincenti

School photos

The quality of the school photos were a great success, they are now available for you to purchase online, in time for Christmas.

Punctuality 

Please, can I remind all parents of the importance of picking up your children on time after school or activities. Many children get quite distressed when they are left waiting, for fear they are going to be left behind.

Late collections are now being closely monitored and much as we regret having to do this, continuous late collection may result in your child not being allowed to participate in after-school activities. Please support us on this matter.

Next week is a very short week, please remember that the school is closed on 6, 8 and 9 December, but we will be having normal classes on 5 and 7 December.

We hope you enjoy the following Primary and Secondary news.

PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS

Primary students have been busy in a hive of learning this month. From sharing learning with parents during the Foundation Stage Stay and Play sessions to amazing sounds of choir rehearsals flowing through the corridors, a buzz of excitement has hit the school as we begin to prepare for our Christmas shows! 

We watched in awe as year 4 performed their class assembly ‘Active Planet’ in front of so many parents and visitors. Thank you for coming to see the children’s learning and thank you also to Miss Manning, Miss Lancaster, Miss Freeman and also Miss Kate for their support in planning the assembly. Can you believe we ended the assembly with a phone call from the big man himself, Santa?!

This week, Science lessons in Year 5 reached a new level of excitement and enthusiasm this half-term with the start of the new unit – Space Scientists!

Investigating the structure of the Earth, how the Moon’s gravity affects our tides and discovering that our Earth is like one big bar magnet, have fired up the imagination and creativity of our young scientists. The realisation that we have both Magnetic and Geographical poles was a revelation, leading to a new understanding of navigation and the importance of declination. 

In year 2, during their Spanish lessons, the children have been learning all about different kinds of fruit, naming them and describing their taste. The children know so many now and can even create a shopping list in Spanish. The children discussed the benefits of eating healthily, and so they made some kebabs with grapes, tangerines and bananas in one of our lessons. They were delicious!

With a busy month of festivities upon us, we look forward to seeing you all at our key stage shows. 

IMPORTANT DATES IN DECEMBER

Saturday 3rd – Christmas Bazaar – all families are very welcome

Monday 5th & Wednesday 7th  – Inter-house competitions – children will be advised as to which day to wear PE kit. 

Tuesday 6th, Thursday 8th, Friday 9th – School closed

Tuesday 13th 9.15h – Foundation Stage Christmas Performance – Main School Hall, parents welcome

Thursday 15th 9.15h – KS1 Christmas Performance – Main School Hall, parents welcome

Friday 16th 14.30h – KS2 Carol Concert – Arts & Sports Hall, parents welcome

Monday 19th – Christmas Jumper Day (own clothes) and Class Christmas Parties.

Monday 19th 16.00h – 17.30h – Y5 & 6 Christmas Disco

Wednesday 21st – Bring-a-game to school day (no electronic games)

Wednesday 21st 16.00h – School Closes for Christmas

SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS

Silver Adventurous Journey Expedition in the Sierra de Las Nieves

Our intrepid Silver Duke of Edinburgh teams embarked on their second out-of-school training activity this year. Twenty one students from Y11 and Y12 spent three days and two nights taking part in their Adventurous Journey practice expedition in the Sierra de Las Nieves National Park.

The adventurous journey is like nothing students have ever experienced before. It is a real adventure. They plan their own routes (21 hours walking in total) and meals. They also carry everything they need including tents, stoves, food so they can be completely self-sufficient over the three days. They are supervised remotely and met at points by our team of dedicated and experienced teachers. All the students did a fantastic job. They had to learn to work as a team, navigate and walk long distances on tricky terrain with heavy bags! It was tough, and they were challenged both physically and mentally but we are so proud of everything they have achieved, how far they have come and the unique learning experiences we are able to offer our students at Aloha College Marbella.

Year 10 French Cinema Trip

Our Y10 French students attended a showing of ‘La dernière vie de Simon’ in the Cinesur Malaga Nostrum cinema as a part of the French Film Festival. The film proved intriguing and was certainly enjoyed by both the students and the teachers. Our students were extremely well behaved and as always represented Aloha College Marbella very well. 

Sporting Competitions

These past two months have been full on for the PE department and our competitive teams with tryouts starting in September and competitions starting in October. The schedule has been busy to say the least.

We have taken successful teams to compete in San Pedro for under 15 and under 19 boys and girls football, securing two golds in both U19 categories. We also travelled to Verona during half term with three competitive teams to the Mediterranean Cup. We returned as under 18 elite group bronze, under 18 girls elite bronze, and under 16 elite group gold champions.

In November, we started our basketball programme with a team travelling to Atalaya for under 14, securing the gold medal and trophy for the boys’ team. We also hosted two major tournaments for under 16 and under 18 in our Arts and Sports Hall, attended by 200 students each day from eight visiting schools. The under 16 boys played extremely well and managed to win silver medals, while the under 18 boys went one better by securing gold meaning the trophy stayed here at Aloha College Marbella.

We are now gearing up for our cross country season and I look forward to inviting all students to try out for a provisional squad and get fit over Christmas by entering our kilometre challenge, more details to follow!

Visit to Marbella Design & Art Fair 2022

A group of Art students from Y10 -Y13 visited Marbella Design & Art Fair. They had over 150 exhibits and students were able to see a vast array of interior design exhibitions and talk with artists and designers about the process behind the scenes, motivations and consider how to work to a design brief. Students also had time to explore the exhibitions and complete some drawings in their sketchbooks.

Susana Urbano, parent at the school,  led a fascinating talk guiding students through the terrace exhibition entitled ´Freedom´ and how specific materials had been carefully selected to work within the theme. We also met Romanian Artist Stefan Postol. He regularly works with interior designers on his intuitive abstract artworks and gave a talk about his painting which touches on topics such as women’s freedoms and time to be silent. Students were able to consider the effects of lighting, sound, sustainable materials and how to create an ambience in the various stunning exhibitions. It is clear that in design every detail counts!

It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all involved as well as a terrific opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and broaden knowledge about the interior design industry. Many thanks to Susana Urbano for inviting us to attend. We look forward to returning again next year!

A+ programme introduced for year 12 A Level students

We are delighted to announce that we have launched what we have called the A+ programme, a new and improved programme of study for our A Level students in Year 12. The objective of the A+ programme is to provide students with an enriched programme to enable them to reach their full potential in a diverse range of areas including critical thinking, PE, wider reading, independent supervised study and the opportunity to learn new skills online with world-class universities. Student Tom Gainey describes it as “a great way for students to develop which provides opportunities for investigating topics that are interesting to our future studies and careers”.

Cadena SER radio broadcast

On November 28, Cadena SER radio station broadcast a live radio show from our school. This was connected to the recent conference organised by Mentes Expertas, following our drive to promote the importance of emotional intelligence and wellbeing in our community.

A selection of pupils from Primary and Secondary School were interviewed, including Carlota Ranea from year 12. “I was interviewed because I’m one of the Peer Educators, so they wanted to know about that programme and why we do it. They thought it was great to have us students talking about mental health and wellbeing with younger students, as not all young people would be comfortable talking to a teacher. It was really interesting to be involved in the radio show, a bit nerve wracking at first but the presenters were great at asking us questions that we knew we could answer well.”

We hope you have enjoyed this newsletter, and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday at the Christmas Bazaar.

One subject is chosen from each of the following groups:

  1. Language and Literature (Language A). Students take their studies in a language in which they are academically competent.
  2. Language acquisition (Language B). A modern language course with an emphasis on understanding another culture through its language.
  3. Individuals and Societies: Provides for the development of a critical appreciation of the nature and activities of human activities in history and the physical, economic and social environment that people inhabit.
  4. Experimental Sciences: The exploration of concepts, theories, models and techniques that underpin each subject area and through these, develop their understanding of the scientific method.
  5. Mathematics: The development of mathematical knowledge, concepts and principles and the development of logical, critical and creative thinking.
  6. The Arts: Students develop their understanding of the dynamic and changing nature of the arts and explore the diversity of arts and learn to express themselves with confidence and competence. Students may opt to study an additional science, individuals and societies, or languages course, instead of a course in the arts.

The requirement that students take at least one subject from each of the first five groups listed ensures a balanced education. Thus, the scientist continues the study of languages and one of the humanities, while the arts student continues to take mathematics and science. Furthermore, students may choose their study programmes to take into account their interests, abilities and future career or education requirements by the choice of the sixth subject and by the choice of subjects offered at Higher Level.

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Darren Roth
Headteacher Secondary
Earned his BA(Hons) in English Literature from Cardiff University before completing his teaching qualification as a secondary English teacher at Swansea University. Over 17 years in South Wales, he held roles including Head of English, Head of Sixth Form, and senior management before joining Aloha College Marbella in 2012. A passionate educator, Darren finds immense satisfaction in students’ success.
His diverse interests extend beyond the classroom. Darren obtained his pilot’s licence at 17 through a Royal Air Force scholarship and continued training for years. He volunteered in the Camp America scheme, played water polo for Wales Under 18s, and taught children to swim.
Outside of his professional and athletic pursuits, Darren enjoys reading, cycling, and walking his rescue Yorkshire Terrier, Charley. A paddleboarding enthusiast, he finds joy in outdoor activities. Darren also has a flair for cooking and delights in preparing meals for friends. He holds a special affection for the Andalusian sunshine and seizes every opportunity to explore Spain and beyond.
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Louise Verinder
Designated Safeguarding Lead & Pastoral Care

Louise earned her BA Hons degree from Edge Hill University and went on to complete her PGCE. With a lifelong passion for sports, she always knew she wanted to become a PE teacher. She excelled, particularly in sports acrobatics, earning the honor of representing Great Britain. For fourteen years, she served as head of PE in Chorley, in the north-west of England, before embarking on what was supposed to be a year’s sabbatical in Spain.

Louise joined Aloha College in 2014 as a part-time teacher of PE. A couple of years later, she transitioned into the role of pastoral care, a role that she absolutely loves. Tasked with leading the secondary school’s PSHEE program and serving as the Designated Safeguarding Lead, she finds great pleasure in developing positive working relationships with teenagers, supporting their mental health and wellbeing, helping develop their self-esteem and confidence, as well as helping them navigate the challenges of life!
Louise is passionate about learning and developing her skillset. She is an accredited life coach with the ICF, specializing in working with teenagers. She has studied for a Diploma in NLP and has recently been awarded a Level 5 Diploma in Trauma and Mental Health-Informed Schools and Communities. 
Outside of teaching, Louise loves the simple things in life. Spending time with her family and friends, travelling, and spending time outside hiking, skiing and paddleboarding. She loves good food and she feels truly blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the world.
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Sara Dickie
Head of Key Stage 2

Graduated from the University of Plymouth with a BEd (hons) specialising in English Literature and teaching children in the primary age range.  For the next 17 years, Sara worked in large, central and outer London schools.  As a senior leader in the UK, Sara raised attainment and supported curriculum development across groups of schools in the local area and worked with the local education authority to provide training across boroughs. She ensured the success of school improvement in roles such as leader of English, Maths and SEND provision over the years.  Sara moved to Spain in 2017 and is currently our Head of Key Stage 2.  

Sara has travelled to many fascinating destinations across the globe and still counts travel as one of her interests.  However, she now spends more time at her rural finca in the Andalucian mountains than ever before due to the increasing number of rescue animals she supports.  Outside of education, Sara loves to spend time in the countryside with her horses, dogs and many other animals under her care. 
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Liz Keys
Teaching & Learning

Liz gained a BA.Hons degree in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Hull.  After her PGCE  she began her teaching career at a state Primary School in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Her passion for teaching and her love of travel soon prompted her to take up her next role as a Reception class teacher at Bangkok Patana School in Thailand where she gained invaluable experience of working in an international environment. 

A desire to move closer to the UK prompted Liz to join Aloha College Marbella in 1997 where she has been a Key Stage leader in both KS1 & KS2. She is passionate about providing children with a Creative Curriculum which  provides exciting stimuli and first-hand learning experiences. Her interests are reading, travel and sampling different cuisines.
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Anna Sweeting
Head of Key Stage 3 and Enrichment

Completed her degree in Business, Accounting and Finance, then later a Certificate in Mathematics. Having worked in banking, accounting and education finance she started teaching by founding a tuition company in 2006 and lecturing part-time in a further education college. These both grew, and a decision was made to sell the business and lecture full time, while also leading GCSE Maths. Anna made the move to secondary education in 2015, then joined Aloha College in 2016.

Anna loves inspiring students to try new things and to grasp opportunities, you never know where they will lead! She enjoys performing in theatre shows and singing, but the most drama in her life comes from being an avid follower of Blackpool FC, a curse that she has passed on to her two sons.
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Jacqueline Brice
Head of Key Stage 4

Achieved a first class Honours degree in Mathematics and Physics from Kings College London before pursuing a career in broadcasting. She indulged her curiosity in the latest scientific and technological advances as a producer of scientific documentaries for BBC Radio and Television and then moved into fly-on-the-wall documentary making for Channel 4 with the police and the Royal Navy. Her broadcasting career has taken her flying through thunderstorms with lightning chasers in North Dakota, to crime scenes with the Metropolitan Police murder squad and from the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious to Gibraltar by Sea King helicopter. 

As her young family took priority in her life, she turned her degree into a Post Graduate Certificate of Education and brought her family to Spain, where she has continued to share her love of mathematics, science and life-long learning with the students of Aloha College for almost two decades. Over the years, she has thoroughly enjoyed leading the Mathematics Department and Key Stage 3 and now she is working as the Head of Key Stage 4, hoping to instill a love for learning and international travel in our young adults and to encourage them to value a broad range of creative, analytical and communication skills.
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Ellen Richards
Head of EYFS

Studied at the University of Chester where she completed her BEd (Hons) in  Primary education, specialising in the Early Years. She believes there is no age range more exciting and inspiring with which to work, and feels fortunate to have truly found her vocation. 

Ellen has taught at international schools in Guangzhou, China, Bangkok, Thailand and London, UK, before joining the Aloha College Marbella team in 2018 where she is currently Head of Foundation Stage. Having attended international schools herself in Maseru, Lesotho, Yokohama, Japan and South Wales in the UK, Ellen feels a strong sense of belonging within our multicultural community.
Outside of work, Ellen is most content exploring all and any creative pursuits, be it in a rather haphazard way! What she lacks in finesse she makes up for in enthusiasm, and will happily while away the weekend with her sewing machine. 
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Elaine McGirl
Head of Key Stage 5

An experienced educator with over two decades of expertise in the field of science and education. Originally from Ireland, Elaine graduated with Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Limerick after earning a Bachelor of Science in Education majoring in Biology and Chemistry. 

Driven by a passion for understanding how students learn best, Elaine has held diverse roles in education, including lecturing and tutoring in educational psychology to undergraduate students. She has extensive experience teaching various curricula, including the International Baccalaureate, A Levels and the Irish Leaving certificate, providing her with a comprehensive understanding of various educational systems. 
In 2007, Elaine joined Aloha College Marbella, where she has served as an IB and A-Level Biology teacher, General Science teacher, and Head of the Science Department. Currently, she holds the position of Head of Sixth Form and IB Diploma Programme Coordinator, demonstrating her leadership and commitment to guiding students towards academic excellence and personal growth.
Outside of teaching, Elaine enjoys Irish dancing, Flamenco, and salsa. She can play several instruments from her days in a youth marching band. Elaine loves traveling, trying new foods, and spending time with animals.
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Anne Ross
Head of Key Stage 1

Began her teaching career with a Foundation Degree in Early Years from the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland. She managed and developed a Nursery School in the Highlands for several years and was very involved in raising the awareness and the importance of Early Years education throughout many schools in the Highlands and North of Scotland. Anne then furthered her studies, experience and expertise by gaining a PGCE at the University of Buckingham to further her career in Primary education.

At Aloha Anne has always been passionate about extending her knowledge and learning, she is currently studying to become a certified Well-Being coach. She is a strong advocate of student wellbeing, emotional intelligence and social development, these important life skills ensure our students emerge more resilient and ready to face future adversities. 
Even though Anne has lived in Spain for over 20 years, she loves to explore Spain’s rich culture and many hidden treasures. She is an enthusiastic traveller with a love for diverse destinations and learning from different cultures. Anne has always been passionate about sports and keeping fit and in her spare time she loves Crossfit classes, family time and reading.
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Emma Saunders
Primary Designated Safeguarding Lead & Pastoral Car

Emma has dedicated her entire teaching and professional career to ACM. A Saint Mary’s University London honour’s graduate, holding a Masters Degree in International Education from Oxford Brookes, Emma has shaped her career into a student-centric narrative. Her experience and research into “Third Culture Kids’, which recognises our students unique educational, international and Spanish experience, was used in crafting and developing the Primary PSHEE programme, facilitating essential skills appropriate to academic, psychological and emotional well-being.

Emma’s professionalism at Charity, is helping change lives for the vulnerable, in Málaga and Africa where ACM has initiated educational programmes in Kampala. Her work as a rapporteur for the COBIS ConnectED sessions is established and recognised. As a qualified Catechist, Emma’s Pastoral Care role is busy and engaging. As a safeguarding expert and officer, fluent in Spanish, Emma analyses the latest programmes, developments and policies, at national and International level.
As a former ballerina, Emma trained young dancers for school shows and Marbella events in modern/Irish dance, and regularly performed in her native West End. Emma also enjoys entertaining family and friends, however Tara the Afghan Hound as the newest member of the Saunders family, is the one who now steals the show!
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Kate Edwards
Headteacher Primary

Kate graduated from the University of Central England with a BEd (Hons) in Primary Education, specialising in the Early Years. As an experienced leader in both UK and international educational settings, Kate is committed to providing students with a learning environment that celebrates effort and achievement in both academic and personal endeavors. In July 2019, Kate, completed the Cobis Program for Aspiring Heads, before taking on her first headship with us in 2023. 

In her spare time, Kate loves spending time with her husband and three children. They often enjoy trips to the park, constructing Lego masterpieces, strolls along the beach and splashing about in the pool. When time allows, Kate also loves to bake.  At home you’ll often find her whipping up a storm in the kitchen. Rumour has it, she dreams of donning the iconic apron on the Great British Bake Off one day! 
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