Dear Students,

We began 2022 with lots of enthusiasm and energy, now here we are already at the end of January.

During Advisory this month, grades 9 and 10 were introduced to Community Action Projects (CAPs). They explored what such projects entailed with several examples of community activism. Students were EMPOWERED to do their own research on student activism so they can see and reflect on the examples that are out there. They were CHALLENGED to work in groups and to continuously report back to their peers on the ideas that they are coming up with for their own projects. The purpose of this project is to get students to CARE more about their different communities and engage in the activities that can CREATE the changes they would like to see in our community, and by extension our world.

Juniors began the year reflecting on their character and attitude in relation to what their Academic Reference would look like. More on this in this Newsletter.

This month Juniors and Seniors were invited to a University Fair in Madrid with their College Counselors. And during Advisory Seniors continued to watch the Black in Madrid docu-series to raise their awareness on the challenges that many diverse communities face. As a result many students engaged in meaningful conversations surrounding this issue.

The Executive Student Council with Mr. Lyvers also focused their Assembly on Diversity Awareness by paying homage to civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to mark the historic Martin Luther King Jr. Day on 17 January. At that Assembly Mr. White delivered a very touching yet powerful poem called Gate A-4 by Naomi Shihab Nye. You will find out why Mr. White shared this poem with us later in this newsletter.

In the meantime I invite you to go ahead and enjoy this month's edition.

Tessa John-Guerra

US Counselor

✍EMPOWER

✍CHALLENGE

✍CARE

✍CREATE

The goal here is for students to be mindful and cognizant of a specific cornerstone within our mission, using it as an umbrella to guide their action project.

Juniors began the year looking at what an Academic Reference is all about. They were encouraged to think about what their References may look like if they had to have them written today. Would your Academic Reference also show your Character Development? This was a point for reflection for many Juniors during Advisory. They also had the opportunity to reflect on how Grade 11 has been going for them so far and how they have demonstrated their character as a learner.

Among the many universities that participated were, CIS Endicott and Schiller that are US universities in Madrid.

The Spanish universities that participated were IE, Carlos III, ICADE, ICAI, Francisco de Vitoria, U. Europea,CUNEF, Politécnica de Madrid, Complutense, Autonoma, ESADE, Glion (Hospitality), Les Roches among many others.

We also have a tentative British University Fair coming up on March 1st for Juniors and Seniors. The College Counselor's office will send out more details when it is confirmed.

THEMES COVERED IN EPISODE 2

• The psychological toll people face after suffering racism and gender violence.
• Lack of Black mental health professionals.
• Biracial marriages in Spain.
• Immigrant and migrant rights/struggles.

THEMES COVERED IN EPISODE 4

• Mantero Rights and Oppression.
• Institutional Racism.
• Police Brutality

I chose it because I have a friend who is struggling with our lack of progress (and even our falling backwards) in the civil rights movement. I like that it reminds us that civil rights are for all of us, and because it reminds us to work for the kind of world King dreamed of.

Mr. Brian White
Grade 10 Advisor

Upper School English & Drama Teacher

Complex assignments can be broken down into manageable chunks. Analyze your task using backwards mapping and determine what tasks need to be completed.

Once you have organized this information, periodically refer back to your Backwards Mapping Plan in order to analyze your progress.

Please download the document below to help you practice Backwards Mapping. Print several copies or create your own, then use it for different school projects and assignments.

👇

👉 International relations is the study of the interaction of nation-states and non-governmental organizations in fields such as politics, economics, and security. Professionals work in academia, government, and non-profits to understand and develop cooperative exchanges between nations that benefit commerce, security, quality of life, and the environment.

👉The study and practice of international relations is interdisciplinary in nature, blending the fields of economics, history, and political science to examine topics such as human rights, global poverty, the environment, economics, globalization, security, global ethics, and the political environment.

👉 International Relations can be very fulfilling if you would like to contribute to maintaining positive diplomatic relations between countries, preventing international conflicts, and contributing to the smooth running between governments in our highly interconnected world.

Remember to fill out this form to send us news of your achievements outside of school or of a fellow student so we can showcase it here on our newsletter.

❤️YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS ARE OUR ACHIEVEMENTS❤️

1. Please go over all the past newsletters where you will find different study strategies under the sub-heading of Study Skills.
2. Then go over all the different professions explored under the sub-heading of Career Guidance.

Email: tessajohn@asmadrid.es
Website: asmadrid.org
Location: American School of Madrid, Calle América, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain
Phone: 34 917401902