Annual Report 2017-2018

v

ANNUAL REPORT 2017 - 2018

Building a Tradition of Excellence

AMERICAN SCHOOL OF MADRID

The American School of Madrid

Annual Report 2017 - 2018 Address

Calle América, 3 Pozuelo de Alarcón Madrid, 28224

Telephone

91 740 1900 or 91 740 1912

Hours

School Year: 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Summer: 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

Website

www.asmadrid.org

Headmaster Ben Weinberg Upper School Director Kim Cullen Middle School Director Mike Nugent Lower School Director Chris Law

Like us on facebook.com/madridschool Follow us at @schoolmadrid Connect with us at linkedin.com/ company/american-school-of-madrid Tweet us at @schoolmadrid Pin with us at pinterest.com/asmschool

The American School of Madrid, founded in 1961, is a private coeducational day school which offers an educational program from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 for students of all nationalities.

The curriculum is that of the United States with emphasis in the higher grades upon preparing students for college. Instruction is in English. All students are required to study Spanish. The school’s testing program includes the National Merit (SAT) and College Entrance Examination Board tests. The school offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Most of the graduates attend colleges and universities in the U.S. Some continue their studies in Spain and all over the world. The PK-12 program is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. ASM is an IB world school with an accredited IB diploma program. The school is also accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Education and offers the Spanish Official Program The ASM campus is located 12 kilometers west of Madrid, in Pozuelo de Alarcon. The facilities were inaugurated in 1967 and currently include four main buildings; a lower school building which includes classrooms as well as a Lower School Learning CommonsLibrary, a Lower School science lab, a full gymnasium and a playground, a Middle and Upper school with Learning Commons and cafeteria renovated in 2016, a Center for the Arts that houses 3 art classrooms, 3 music classrooms, 1 drama classroom, a 600seat auditorium and a large multi-purpose room. The Science Center and Athletics Complex include all middle and upper school science labs, a full-sized gymnasium, fitness and weight room, and health and yoga room. Outdoor PE facilities include 2 tennis courts, all-purpose weather track; a turf soccer field; a new (2018) multipurpose field for baseball and other sports including changing rooms and a concessions stand. There are four digital labs, one dedicated to digital arts and one to robotics.

Contents 04

ASM LEARNING BELIEFS

06

A LETTER FROM THE HEADMASTER

08

A LETTER FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

10

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

13

PHILOSPHY AND OB JECTIVES

14

A MAGICAL MIX

16

E D U C AT I O N A L T EC H N O LO GY

20

TEACHING AND LEARNING TEAM

22

LOWER SCHO OL

26

MIDDLE SCHOOL

30

UPPER SCHOOL

34

CL A S S O F 2017

36

UNIVERSITY ENROLLMENT

38

CAS

43

E X T E R N A L E X A M I N AT I O N R E S U LT S

46

T H E A RT S AT A S M

54

AT H L E T I C S

56

FINANCES

58

COMMUNITY

62

DE VELOPMENT

66

ALUMNI

74

F E AT U R E

A SM ANNUAL REP ORT 2017 - 2018

ASM Learning Beliefs

Developed with students, parents and staff, through the Voices to Vision process, the ASM Learning Beliefs are a clear, simple set of statements about learning to guide planning and program development.

VOICES TO VISION During the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years we engaged the ASM community in the development of a set of learning beliefs to help guide us and inform our decision making process.

Interactive sessions, called Voices to Vision, were held with ASM parents, students, and staff between April 2017 and May 2018. The sessions were structured to allow active participation, provide opportunities for discussion and reflection, and to gather data on the characteristics of important learning from different members of the ASM community.

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

SHOULD BE PURPOSEFUL & RELEVANT

INVOLVE S

real world experiences, risk and failure, self-reflection, and choice.

I

S

A

C

O

N T

I

N

U

O

U

S

P

R

O

C

E

S

S .

Requires challenges + perceived limits.

I S FA C I L I TAT E D BY S K I L L F U L , CARING TEACHERS. REQUIRES S T U D E N T S TO AC TI VE LY OW N THE I R OW N LE A RNI NG.

TAKE S PL ACE WITHIN A P OSITIVE, SUPP ORTIVE S C H O O L C O M M U N I T Y. IS SUPP ORTED BY PERSEVER ANCE, PROBLEM SOLVING, SELF-REFLECTION, T I M E M A N A G E M E N T, E M PAT H Y, A N D C O L L A B O R AT I O N .

Requires creativity by teachers and students.

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A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

A LE T TER FROM THE HE ADMA STER

The ASM Difference

An annual report is a regular communication tool for many organizations, a way to report on the work and accomplishments during the current year. This is ASM’s first Annual Report.

BEN WEINBERG HEADMASTER

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

In these pages you will see a summary of the many goals, initiatives, activities, and results from the 2017-2018 school year.

• In the fall of 2017, the school community worked with

We feel it is important to pause and take pride in the many accomplishments of ASM students as well as provide a clear sense of the direction, focus, and next steps as, together, we build on the work of years past and create a tradition of excellence for the future.

• ASM hosted the AMIS Honors Orchestra.

Flansburgh Architects to develop the Master Plan for Facilities which will guide us for the next ten years.

• This was the year ASM finished developing a set of Learning Beliefs from the data gathered in the Voices to Vision process.

• ASM students took top prizes in the first Madrid Robotics Tournament.

• The ASM Chronicle was produced and published by the US Journalism Class.

Summing up a year in a single statement is difficult.

Many events make a year memorable. Many accomplishments made the 2017-18 School Year stand out at ASM. Some are major accomplishments and some may seem small, but demonstrate the collaborative, community spirit that characterizes learning at ASM. Some events followed with tradition; traditions that have made ASM the wonderful place it is.

2018 was a year of investment in the professional learning of our teaching staff. We shifted our focus so that we brought the learning to ASM rather than sending our teachers away to conferences and seminars. We want our professional learning to happen in classrooms rather than in hotel conference rooms.

We hosted professional learning opportunities in our classrooms with consultants from the U.S. and around the world in addition to sending teachers to observe and learn from exemplary programs in other schools.

We also built our capacity to provide professional learning opportunities by adding staff with expertise in instructional coaching. The newly-formed Teaching and Learning Team works with teachers in their classrooms.

The result is a highly flexible, responsive system of student services, professional development, and learning at ASM.

• ASM hosted the Madrid Model United Nations forum as well as sending students to Model United Nations sessions in Oxford, Valencia, and The Hague.

• Upper School Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) projects demonstrated the commitment by ASM students to work for positive change in their world.

• Both the Fall and Spring Theater productions drew standing-room only crowds.

• Orchestra, Choir, and Band Concerts, along with the

We are confident that our team approach to learning puts us at the forefront of current best practices. The world of education is facing exciting opportunities and challenges to focus on learning lifelong skills. To that end, ASM teachers continue to refine their instructional practices. Together with other schools around the world we are moving toward a progressive, student centered curriculum and learning environment. To make 21st Century Learning more than a slogan we must adapt and revise our practices to ensure that student learning is meaningful, relevant, and connected. The change process this year was not always smooth and, along with the ASM Leadership Team, I learned some valuable lessons about communication and managing change.

IB Art Exhibit showcased student work in the Arts.

• MS students auditioned and were chosen to participate in the AMIS Honor Band, Choir, and Orchestra.

• Lower School Assemblies allowed students to share their cultures and their learning.

• Upper School students participated in the second annual Business Plan Competition.

• Seniors used the Senior Lounge under the stairs as the traditional refuge from the stress of IB exams and university applications.

• Sixth graders faced the stress of dealing with locker

My pledge to you is to be open, honest, and transparent. We have an extraordinary team of educators and staff supporting our efforts. Our goals are clear, our processes in place, and we are seeing strong, independent, global thinkers ready to take on the world when they graduate. My thanks to you for allowing me to be a part of this amazing community called ASM!

combinations for the first time.

It was also the first year for some exciting new initiatives and events.

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A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

A LE T TER FROM THE B OARD OF TRUSTEE S

Forward from the board

The ASM Board of Trustees is pleased to present ASM’s first annual report.

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES STEVE SCHAVER, CHAIRMAN

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

We celebrate being an inclusive college preparatory school with an enduring commitment to excellence, and view the annual report as an opportunity to bring together, in one place, the compelling story about the great progress our students are making.

increasing number of hours to professional development,

ASM is thriving thanks to its students, their parents, and an immensely dedicated and talented faculty and staff guided by the leadership team.

ASM parents are highly committed to and involved

instructional practice, and coaching. We are grateful to this team of professionals who are leading us through a renewed focus on learning with the standards-based grading introduced this past year.

Our parents are the nurturing circle, not just for their children, but by extension, for all ASM students, and for the faculty and staff, and leadership team. Fortunately, in their children’s learning. The support of parents this year through the parent volunteer committee, homerooms, teacher and staff appreciation day, coffees

At the center of our learning community stand our students. They are the reason we are all here. We trust you will be as impressed as we are, as you read about their many achievements during this past school year.

Achievements which took place in the classroom, in sports, in music, in the arts, and through service to the community. Our students embrace the holistic education that ASM offers. Their growth as 21st century learners from preschool through graduation, and — in the upper grades, as principled young men and women — inspires us and we hope it will make you proud. We congratulate them all, and in particular, the class of 2018, whose university placement has been nothing short of excellent.

and meetings, and the fantastic ASM Interfest has been simply exemplary. Undoubtedly, our strong, vibrant international community is also a source of inspiration and support for our students.

In closing, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to my fellow Trustees and to Headmaster Ben Weinberg. As stewards of ASM’s long-term mission, we, as Trustees, continue to dedicate ourselves, through numerous meetings and in outreach to the ASM community, to a clear goal: the balanced development of people, program, and plant (facilities) at ASM. All such development is underpinned by strong, conservative

Right next to the students stand our faculty, staff, and leadership team. Their passion and dedication make learning what it is at ASM. The professional qualifications of our teachers are now the highest of any time in ASM’s history. Our teachers are dedicating an

fiscal policies, and ASM is financially healthy. And, our mission is greatly facilitated by the partnership we enjoy with our chief educator, Headmaster Weinberg.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve ASM.

AT T H E C E N T E R O F O U R L E A R N I N G C O M M U N I T Y S TA N D O U R STUDENTS. THE Y ARE THE RE ASON WE ARE ALL HERE. WE TRUST YO U WILL B E A S IMPRES SED A S WE ARE, A S YO U RE AD AB O UT T H E I R M A N Y A C H I E V E M E N T S D U R I N G T H I S PA S T S C H O O L Y E A R .

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A SM ANNUAL REP ORT 2017 - 2018

ASM Board of Trustees Includes entrepreneurs, journalists, executives, a lawyer, a former educator, an investment banker, and a representative of the U.S. Embassy in Madrid.

Irrespective of nationalities, we each represent all students and the entire community. We are here to serve ASM, which means all students and all stakeholders; not a particular group of students, not a particular faction of the community, or a particular issue.

We are committed to a holistic and principled education where academics, sports, music and the arts, and personal development all have an important place in our school. We are also committed to a culture of constant improvement.

Most all members of the Board are parents of current or former students. The majority of the Board are American citizens, but we also have Spanish citizens, and one Trustee who is a third country national.

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

TOP ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT

Alan Goodman Martín Aleñar, Vice Chairman Elena Garrigues Christine Hartstern Steve Schaver, Chairman Corina Piedrahita, Secretary Chresten Christensen BOTTOM ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT

Michael Willisch Matt Mittino, Treasurer José Miguel Knoell Thomas Reott Ben Weinberg, Headmaster Steven Winegar not present

The Board...

...hires the Headmaster

...is a policy-setting body

...sets the strategic direction of the school

...is responsible for the long term financial health of ASM

11

...approves the annual budget

...develops and enacts long term facilities plans

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

Philosophy and Objectives The American School of Madrid, a private, nonprofit educational organization, has as its primary responsibility the recognition and development of the intellectual ability of its students.

The School also recognizes its responsibility to attend to the emotional, moral, physical, and social needs of its students. The American School of Madrid provides both quality and continuity in American elementary and college-preparatory education. It makes possible the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior that will prepare its students to be critical and concerned members of a changing society, aware of their responsibilities to themselves, to others, and to future generations.

In order to implement this philosophy, the American School of Madrid accepts its responsibility to develop in its students:

• curiosity and interest in learning; • clear and effective self-expression; • proficiency in the use of academic skills, including observation, comprehension, analysis, evaluation, research and their application;

• the ability to function as independent learners and thinkers; • recognition of the need for disciplined work and personal responsibility in the learning process;

• self-esteem and self-confidence along with the ability to set personal goals that are ambitious, yet realistic;

• personal, honesty, integrity, reliability, and sportsmanship; • respect for intelligence and achievement; • generally accepted patterns of behavior, including respect for the needs, rights, and property of others;

• concern for and competence in maintaining physical fitness; • understanding of and respect for the cultural contributions and traditions of past and present societies, with particular emphasis on America and Spain.

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A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

DIVERSE DEMOGRAPHICS

The Magical Mix

Venezuela

China

Netherlands

Ireland

Hungary

Bolivia

26

20

14

7

4

3

Mexico

United Kingdom

Canada

Sweden

Australia

Turkey

24

17

8

6

4

3

Argentina

Brazil

Russia

Germany

Romania

Morocco

24

15

8

6

4

3

Italy

France

Colombia

Denmark

India

Japan

22

15

8

5

4

3

South Korea

Portugal

Peru

Philippines

Uruguay

Chile

24

14

7

5

3

3

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

ASM values diversity. The ASM Board of Trustees has a written policy to ensure that we uphold and maintain an international and multicultural student body with a magical mix of one-third American students, onethird Spanish students, and one-third other nationalities. This blend of culture and tradition is an essential and influential ingredient in the enrollment process at ASM.

TOTAL

945 Libya

Belgium

Cuba

Greece

Finland

Malaysia

3

2

1

1

1

1

New Zealand

Guatemala

Lebanon

El Salvador

Indonesia

2

2

1

1

1

Latvia

Nicaragua

Haiti

2

2

Saint Kitts and Nevis

United Arab Emirates

Iraq

Ukraine

2

2

Bulgaria

Switzerland

Spain 300 USA 301

2

2

1

1

Jamaica

Egypt

1

1

Serbia

1 15

1 Iran

1

A SM ANNUAL REP ORT 2017 - 2018

Educational technology at ASM ASM strives to prepare students to successfully live and work in the 21st century and to become world citizens with a global outlook.

With this mission as a top priority, we have expanded our Educational Technology Team significantly. For the past several years, the team was comprised of two Technology Integrators tasked with supporting all K-12 classes, and one technology teacher in the US. We have expanded our tech team to include seven faculty as well as Lower and Middle School interns to support this mission. Additional staffing has provided the opportunity to not only expand technology integration and literacy within our classrooms, but to provide other Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) courses and After School Activities.

ASM TECHNOLOGY TOP TEN

01.

02.

Added interns with technology backgrounds in grades 3, 4, and 5 to support the use of our K-5 science lab, integrated projects, and increased offerings in the ASA program

Shifted from a general technology integration support position to a more specific, Lower School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) teacher/coach dedicated to the LS division

06.

07.

Created a K-12 Educational Technology Blog, empowerED, to inform the community of the ongoing technology projects happening at ASM

Added Professional Development: International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) Empowered Learner Cohort and Scratch Training

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

03.

04.

05.

Expanded resources for robotics in all three divisions

Expanded iPad implementation to allow more coding experiences in Early Childhood classrooms using Scratch and Scratch Jr

Continued expansion of After School Activities robotics clubs in LS division

08.

09.

10.

Hosted MAIS Robotics competition in April 2018

Sponsored two ASM teams who competed at the First Lego League Robotics competition

Offered the Future Design School summer camp in summer 2018

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

E D U C AT I O N A L T EC H N O LO GY AT A S M

Key offerings

LOWER SCHOOL STA F F

STEM Teacher

H A R DWA R E

1:1

• iPads K3-1 • Laptops (Grades

MIDDLE SCHOOL

UPPER SCHOOL

Technology Integrator, Technology Teacher [ 1 ] , Art Design Teacher [ 1 ] , Science Design Teacher [ 1 ] , Intern [ 1 ] 1:1 • Laptops (Grades 6-8)

BYOD (option to rent for the year)

• STEM activities integrated in

• Introduction to Computer

• ITGS • Tech Apps • Robotics • Video Production • Digital Photography • Yearbook

• Minecraft (2 c l asse s) • Scratch • Scratch Jr. • Makerspace (2 c l asse s) • Robotics (2 c l asse s) • Computer Animation ( 2

• Digital Photography • Coding with Drones • Programming

2- 5 )

Other • iPads (Grade s 2 - 5, 6 p e r c l ass ) • Bee Bots PRO GR AMS

subject units • Technology Integration for projects • Digital Citizenship • Hour of Code K2-5 • 3D Designing and Printing • Digital Portfolios on Seesaw • iPad cart [1 ]

ASAs

Programming • Introduction to Robotics • Video Technology • Future Technologies • Yearbook • Digital Photography • 3D Computer Animation • Graphic Design • Digital Game Design (offered periodically) • 3D Design and Printing • Science Design and Projects

c l asse s)

• Jr GEMS • 2 First Lego League Robotics Teams • Hosting the MAIS Robotics Competition • Future Design School (summer camp) N E W!

OTHER

PROFE SSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Harvard Project Zero-

Empowered Learner Technology Cohort

Learning in the MakerSpace Classroom

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B U I L D I N G A C U LT U R E O F E X C E L L E N C E

ASM’s Teaching and Learning Team

To make excellence a way of being, as opposed to simply a slogan, it takes a team approach and strong, commonly understood goals.

The newly-minted Teaching and Learning team, which includes Learner Support, Tech Integrators, and Instructional Coaches, began this journey in the fall of the 2017-2018 school year. While team members have different job titles, all seek to support excellence in K1-Grade 12 through the following common goals:

ENRICHING AND SUPPORTING STUDENT LE ARNING Accelerating learning and focusing on instruction across content areas.

Promoting common instructional practices, bringing student work into conversations, teams and schools and vertical alignment from K1 Grade 12.

COLL ABOR ATION Supporting and engaging teachers in effective collaboration, building and sustaining powerful teacher teams. Aligning units and common collaborative practices. Including the collaboration/connection with other schools.

COACHING CULTURE Building a school-wide culture of continuous learning where giving and receiving non-evaluative feedback toward the aim of continuous growth is a way of being.

Implementing coaching cycles, peer observations, lab classrooms, trust, building, and co-teaching.

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A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

Lower School

The elementary years are a time of phenomenal growth and development. At every grade level student progress was visible in student portfolios and writing publishing parties.

CHRIS L AW LOWER SCHOOL DIRECTOR

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

The 2017-18 school year was a year full of learning at every grade level.

From robotics tournaments and designing science inquiries to the Spanish plays and campfire conversations, Lower School students read and wrote, played and performed all year long. Lower School students performed in the after-school music recitals, won first place in the regional robotics tournament, and read every chance they had.

They collaborated, communicated, and problem solved their way across the curriculum. In addition to traditional academic subjects and projects, the Lower School took on a variety of key initiatives to promote learning based on the 21st Century skills of Citizenship, Critical Thinking, and Collaboration.

Here is a Countdown of the Top Ten amazing Lower School accomplishments in 2017-18.

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A SM ANNUAL REP ORT 2017 - 2018

LOWER SCHOOL

Top Ten FOSTERING COMMUNIT Y AND CITIZENSHIP Citizenship and community building were the focus of the Responsive Classroom training for all staff at the start of the year. Responsive Classroom emphasizes social, emotional, and academic growth within the classroom:

Six children want to share four chocolate bars fairly.

How much chocolate will each child get?

10.

9.

Different grade levels developed a broader understanding of the meaning of community through a variety of service learning projects. Students realized that community goes beyond the walls of the classroom, into the greater world. An example of this was Fourth Grade’s service learning project in which they recognized the power and effectiveness in helping our Earth’s environment as individuals and a collective group by supporting the Children’s Eternal Rainforest in Costa Rica.

The Lower School assemblies made a comeback this year as K2 through Grade 5 students gathered together each month in order to welcome new members of our Lower School community and to celebrate birthdays, academic achievements, a love of books, and an appreciation of the nationalities and cultures that make up the ASM community.

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

D E V E LO P I N G C R E AT I V I T Y A N D C R I T I C A L T H I N K I N G A STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) teacher was added to the Lower School staff this year in order to bring design learning to the all grade levels.

8.

7.

Use of the Lower School Science Lab took off this year with a focus on scientific inquiry and engineering design projects. For example, Fifth Grade worked on several challenges that addressed the construction of buildings that could withstand high winds or earthquakes.

Teachers integrated STEM into reading and writing units of study. For example, Second Grade students read a book about a bear unable to scratch an itch on his back. Students then created solutions for the problem using Tinkercad and the new 3-D printer.

C O L L A B O R AT I N G TO M A K E L E A R N I N G V I S I B L E

We made learning visible in a variety of ways including writing celebrations, blogs, showcasing activities through class See-Saw accounts as well as hands-on academic experiences offered to parents during Parent Coffees. Some of the learning that has taken place in the Lower School this year includes:

4.

5.

6.

Grade 2 teachers designed math problems that went beyond a single right answer and required students to develop their habits of mind: persisting, reading and thinking critically, gathering data through all senses, collaborating, thinking flexibly, imagining, and innovating.

Grade 1 teachers created teaching tools that supported individual and small group learning. Their “Toolkits� allowed teachers to use Just Right Learning.

K1/K2 teams studied and infused play-based theory into their classrooms. These teaching practices offered children greater choice around topics of exploration and increased student ownership of their learning.

3.

2.

1.

Third Graders became active inquirers and researchers! Teachers combined reading, writing, and science instruction in a unit that featured individual research projects.

Grade 4 piloted a series of community building, socialemotional lessons focused on mindfulness, tolerance, acceptance and inclusion of all. Role-playing, scenario debating, self-reflection, mindful acts towards self and others helped Fourth graders build empathy and compassion.

Grade 5 students independently ran book clubs focused on social issues around topics such as Understanding Self Identity and Others, Responding to Stereotypes and Prejudices, Finding Good in People and Places, Overcoming Challenges. Grade Five readers developed key literary analysis skills and learned strategies for dealing with the complex issues and challenges they face in the world.

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Middle School

My favorite quote is, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.� I feel that it sums up the Middle School years. These are the years when students discover the complexity of the world. These are the years when their character is formed and their sense of purpose and accomplishment take on new dimensions; the years when, above all, we must work together to preserve their sense of wonder.

MIKE NUGENT MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

After infancy, the Middle School years are the times of the most significant change in an individual’s life.

These changes took place in an environment of achievement. Twenty-three eighth grade students received the prestigious President’s Award for Academic Excellence at our year-end program. This award is given annually to students who demonstrate academic excellence in the classroom and also demonstrate leadership and service in our school community. Service was another important highlight in the Middle School.

Our new service group called Caring Hands spent countless hours helping others in the local community.

We were especially proud of those students who auditioned and qualified for the prestigious AMIS Honors Music Festivals as well as those who participated in the annual MADMUN (Madrid Model United Nations) conference held at ASM. Our Middle School sports teams also excelled on the playing fields and courts, winning important local tournaments at a rate not seen in past years. Every way you look at it, Middle School students took responsibility and initiative to make their learning be both meaningful and to matter.

Students arrive as children and walk out, three short years later, as young men and women. It is an exciting time. It is a turbulent time. It is a time of wonder, anguish, and joy, all within five minutes. And that is not all. For today’s students, this period of transformation is taking place in a world where change is all around us. During 2017-18 the ASM Middle School made some major changes to prepare our students for the amazing opportunities they will find and the equally daunting challenges they will face.

Our focus in making these changes was to provide students with the essential feedback on academic learning but, even more importantly, feedback on the attitudes towards learning, towards one another, and towards their world that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Our new Middle School Learner Profile guided our school efforts toward building healthy learner traits like collaboration, persistence, and resilience.

To meet this goal, teachers reported on learner traits through the Attitudes Toward Learning (ATLs) on the trimester report cards. It was a year of learning for all of us.

The 2017-18 school year presented both challenges and opportunity. But, most importantly, our students continued to reach new levels of excellence in the classroom, in the arts, in creativity, in sport. They did it with style, they did it with humor. We did it together.

That is the ASM Middle School way.

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A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Top Ten 01.

02.

Creation of the Middle Learner Profile that focuses on building student character traits like honor, collaboration, resilience, and global awareness.

A revision of the Attitudes Toward Learning (ATLs) that focuses on four areas: Respect and Cooperation, Responsibility, Engagement, and Collaboration. Teachers now report on these areas on the trimester report card.

06.

07.

Technology integration increased with the addition of 25 ipads.

Learner support developed multiple avenues to assist students.

E XTR A-CURRICUL AR ACTIVITIE S MADMUN (Model United Nation) 2018 received a record number of participants from international schools throughout Europe at the annual three-day conference in April • ASM hosted the 2018 AMIS (Association of Music in International Schools)annual Orchestra Music Festival in February with over 70 participants from over a dozen European international schools • ASM hosted the second annual ROBOMED competition in the school’s gymnasium in March. Over 70 students from international schools in the Mediterranean region visiting ASM for the two-day conference • ASM had 14 students qualify for the prestigious MAIS Honor Choir that took place in Lisbon, Portugal • ASM had 5 students qualify for the prestigious AMIS Honor Band that took place in Milan, Italy •

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

03.

04.

05.

Learning in the block continued to be a strong focus in the Middle School.

Teachers continue to build practices that are supported by the block schedule of four eighty-minute classes daily.

Standards-based mindset was developed amongst staff and students that places the focus on learning and accuracy in grading. Practices that support the mindset include reassessment opportunities and greater opportunities for feedback.

Readers and writers workshop practice was introduced in English 8, English 7, and nativespeaker Spanish classes.

08.

09.

10.

Support laboratories added to the after school program in the areas of math, writing, and Spanish.

Building classroom book libraries continues to be a strong focus in the areas of English and Social Studies.

Two intern teachers were added to the Middle School staff with the goal of supporting the Humanities 6 reader and writer’s workshop curriculum and technology courses and one additional math position was added in the middle and upper school to teach the Algebra classes in grades 8 and 9.

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A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

Upper School

Overall, ASM students are amazing. Each year they surpass expectations. They are competitive athletes and talented musicians.

They create robots and video games, perform in theater, sing, rap, dance, write, and film. They are advocates. They educate the community about important issues that impact society, the environment, and the future.

They are passionate, artistic, and innovative. They help others.

They are excited about learning, and they have figured out that achievement – wherever it happens – feels pretty good.

KIMBERLY CULLEN, UPPER SCHOOL DIRECTOR

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

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A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

UPPER SCHOOL

Top Ten 01.

02.

Increased the number of hours devoted to higher level (HL) sciences and math from 195 to 230 hours.

Offered two new IB courses this year – English Language & Literature and Economics.

06.

07.

Students created the The ASM Chronicle, an online student-newspaper, giving students a place to thoughtfully and respectfully explore issues of interest and concern.

Worked closely with the Student Council to gather feedback from graduating seniors on how to improve the ASM experience.

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

03.

04.

05.

Implemented more collaborative and professional development opportunities for IB teachers.

Increased staff to allow for greater flexibility and smaller class sizes in English and Social Studies.

Added a Learning Support Teacher, thus enabling us to better meet the diversity of learning needs in the Upper School.

08.

09.

10.

Adopted a standardsbased mindset that allows our teachers and students to engage in thoughtful conversations about achievement. Identified what skills best support learning through the adoption of the Approaches To Learning.

We made common planning a priority. Teachers worked together regularly to plan for and assess student learning. Consistency in assessment and grading was a primary focus.

Increased the opportunities for students to have both choice in curriculum and extracurriculars by offering a student-driven History of Spain course, and making possible the establishment of several new clubs. We also sought student input on our facilities master plan as well as our learning principles.

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A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

Class of 2 34

BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

018

35

A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

University Enrollment

2017-2018 USA & CANADA American University American Access at American University Arizona State University Boston University Brigham Young University Columbia University & Science Po DePaul University Emory University Fordham University George Washington University Georgetown University (3) Lynn University New York University NYU (3) Northeastern University (2) Notre Dame Pace University Purdue University Queen’s University Rochester Institute of Technology Rutgers University Temple University Tufts (3) UCLA University of Kansas University of Maine University of Miami University of North Carolina University of Southern California Virginia Tech University

CIS University Madrid IE University (7) Universidad de Navarra Universidad Europea Madrid Universidad Loyola Andalucía

UK

NETHERLANDS

Heriot-Watt University Hult International Business School King’s College London (3) Queen Maria University of London SOAS University of Arts London University of Bath University of Exeter (2) University of Kent (2) University of Manchester University of Greenwich

Design Academy Eindhoven HZ School of Applied Sciences Maastricht University University of Amsterdam (2)

36

11 10

S PA I N

I TA LY Bocconi University Instituto Marangoni

ISRAEL Tel Aviv University

36

= 64

BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

“

I’D AL SO LIKE TO EN CO U R AG E YO U ALL TO REINVENT YO U RSELF E VERY FE W YE ARS, TO TRY NE W THINGS, T O N O T W O R R Y A B O U T FA I L U R E .”

ZOUBIN GHAHR AMANI, CL A SS OF 1986

14

5

1 2

68

U N I V E R S I T Y R E P R E S E N TAT I V E VISITS TO THE ASM CAMPUS

37

A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

C A S — C R E A T I V I T Y, A C T I V I T Y, S E R V I C E

Engaging, Meaningful, Life Changing CAS, an integral part of the IB Diploma Program, is designed to provide juniors and seniors with experiences that help them to develop personally, socially, and civically.

Ideally, CAS leads students to develop a sense of self-efficacy and civic responsibility.

ASM’s forty-nine IB seniors reported over 400 unique CAS experiences this year.

• 139 of them were creative experiences such as a film design class at USC, hosting an online art competition or opening a student-run “Café DaVinci” at school.

• 172 experiences were “activities” such as soccer, horseback riding or water polo.

38

• 158 experiences were in the “service” category. ”Service” is a much more difficult experience to find in that many Madrid NGO’s can’t accept volunteers under the age of 18. Supportive parents accompanied many to meet the requirement. Other students played soccer with a boys home south of Madrid or made sandwiches and delivered them to homeless people in the city center.

BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

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A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

Reflections, a key component of CAS and the IB program, turn experiences into genuine learning. Purposeful reflections encourage students thinking to grow from objective observations and subjective responses to interpretation, awareness, and action. Research shows compelling evidence of the importance of self-reflection. Actively thinking about the challenges and opportunities creates a forum to learn about individual values and goals and about larger social issues.

CAS reflections must be tied to the seven learning outcomes of the CAS program.

Strength + Growth

Challenge + Skills

Initiative + Planning

Commitment + Perseverance

Collaborative Skills + Global Engagement

Ethics of Choices + Actions

The reflections below have been taken from a wide range of CAS activities.

They represent thoughtful, insightful, personal growth. They represent the three strands of CAS: Creativity, Activity, and Service.

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

TA I WA N E S E C H A M B E R OF COMMERCE-E VENT PHOTOGR APHER CRISTIAN I had to look for the perfect angles and move around efficiently to take the best pictures. I’ve always taken pictures for myself but this time I took pictures for other purposes and it was a chance to experience how professional photographers work and how they cope under the pressure of taking good photos. This event really gave me the opportunity to work with adults and see how they organized themselves and worked with each other.

S E RV E T H E C I T Y S AT U R D AY S A N D W I C H ROUTE ISABEL By doing the sandwich route throughout Madrid and talking to the homeless I was able to see Madrid from a new perspective. Whenever I have gone to the center, I have seen poor people on the street. However, I had never realized how many there were. Distributing the sandwiches enabled me to see that these men and women were all over the place and that they were struggling.

The sandwiches we gave out were able to satisfy their hunger but the conversation we had with them did much more. We would go up to them and offer them a sandwich which they could accept or not. Once they did this, we would crouch down next to them and ask them what their name was and how they were doing. Some were really willing to talk and you could tell that this little conversation meant a lot to them.

A SM SWIM CLUB

FOOTBALL

LUCIA

MATEO

As we started our winter session for the swim club a lot of our students dropped out of the club. There were several reasons for this: the cold weather, other clubs that started during this session and took place at the same time, etc. This posed a significant challenge because the swim club has a fixed cost that requires students to pay a 135 euro fee every trimester. If there are not enough students to cover the fixed cost, there is a deficit. To try and solve this issue, I decided to reduce our rental to only one pool lane, to expand the swim club’s offer to the 5th grade, and to use taxis as transportation instead of the bus which was very expensive. I met with our Upper School principal and she agreed to all these changes, expressing her wish to continue the club. I was glad to have so much support from my school, but at the same time, I wanted the Swim Club to run efficiently, without a deficit, while providing a good experience for our swimmers. Implementing these changes will enable the club to continue to focus on the quality of the experience rather than worrying about cost.

A few weeks ago, we won the ISSA tournament that was being held in Madrid in a penalty shootout. I was lucky enough to save two penalties and lead my team to victory on the shootout. The tournament was very hard, but I feel that we deserved to win it after losing last year in the semifinals because of a mistake that I made in goal. I was very grateful to receive all of the crowds’ support throughout the tournament, but especially once I saved that last penalty.

M AT H T U TO R I N G

We are proud of our forty-nine seniors and what they have accomplished through CAS. We are sending them off into the world with a sense of civic duty and an understanding of our world and what they can contribute.

LUCY I really enjoy working with the Middle School after school math tutoring program. It is really cool to be able to help someone else understand something new and feel more confident on their exams. One challenge I have faced is being able to regularly attend to the sessions because I also have Bio HL classes once a month after school at the same time. By now I have just realized that I need to attend as often as I can while also going to my Bio classes.”

41

CAS is the “feel good” part of our rigorous IB diploma program.

Research has shown young people who volunteer while in high school are more likely to become lifelong volunteers than those who do not.

McBride, Benitez, and Sherraden (2003) found that 54% of students who volunteered were still performing community service after being graduated from high school and 45% were still providing service six years later. This percentage compares to 26% who had not volunteered before their high school graduation. (RMC Research report, 2013)

LIZ KEATING CAS COORDINATOR

A SM ANNUAL REP ORT 2017 - 2018

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

External examination results I B I N T E R N AT I O N A L B AC C A L AU R E AT E

ASM Average

C O M PA R I S O N O F A S M A N D W O R L D M E A N S C O R E S FOR SUB JECT GROUP 2017-18

World Average

6.58 4.77 4.43

4.17 4.40

The Arts

Mathematics

FIVE YEAR AV E R AG E IB SCORE

C O M PA R I S O N O F ASM AND WORLD S AT R E S U LT S FOR 2017-18

5.37

4.65

5.14

4.34 4.26

Science

Individuals and Societies

33.4

ASM

29.9

THE WORLD

5.29 4

Language Acquisition

Studies in Language and Literature

O V E R T H E PA S T F I V E Y E A R S , A S M ’S AV ER AG E I B S C O R E IS 3.5 POINTS ABOVE THE AV ER AG E WO R L D S C O R E.

617

635

1252

527

533

1060

Math

Critical Reading

Total

ASM Average World Average

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A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2018 - 2019

Measuring Learning Progress AT ASM, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments in reading, math, and language usage are administered to students in grades three through ten in the spring and fall of each school year.

READING

207 Grade

3

ASM uses MAP because of its focus on growth and because MAP assessments show each student’s level of knowledge and skill. In 2017-18 results, ASM’s average scores were considerably above U.S. averages as well as being generally above both the averages for schools in comparison groups made up of Eurpean Council of International Schools (ECIS) and the 193 international schools assisted by the U.S. Office of Overseas Schools.

198 189

215 206

4

222

227

7

229

8

233

9

American Overseas Schools*

234

10

*193 US State Department assisted schools

44

232

220

239 232

ASM

230

219 230

ECIS

226

214 228

All

221

209 223

With the exception of grade six math, ASM is in the 85th percentile or higher of all schools that participate in MAP testing in these subjects.

216

204 219

6

210

198 213

5

202

222

234

M AT H E M AT I C S

210 Grade

3

203 196

222 214

4

231

230

240

245

249 250

239

258 253

10

245

234 247

9

238

227 242

8

230

220 234

7

227

215 227

6

218

206 223

5

206

254

244

45

A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

Making art and learning visible.

This year the art department spread its wings and brought art to new areas of the campus.

Middle and Upper School students participated in a full-day workshop with Graphic Designer, Feskie Rodrigues.

The ´Galleria´ area was transformed into a creative, art-making space and display area that included installations and student produced works-in-progress.

The Learning Commons became an art gallery for an exhibition of student artwork. The proceeds were donated to La Fundacion Ayuda a la Audicion as part of a service learning project.

A group of Upper School students created a mural in the front hall that shows the progression of learning at ASM. Their work brings the ASM Learning Beliefs to life.

Upper School and Lower School students collaborated in a variety of art works-inprogress creating castles, movies, and picture books.

T H R E E D I V I S I O N S, O N E C R E AT I V E L A N GAG E

46

Lower School students in Grades 3-5 hosted an evening of visual arts and music.

The annual IB Art Exhibition was planned and organized by the students this year.

This event allows young artists to open their portfolios and showcase their work.

BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

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A SM ANNUAL REP ORT 2017 - 2018

S P EC I A L AC H I E V E M E N T I N T H E A RT S

Passion in a Brush

Pablo Muriel appeared in the ASM Art Department this year, looking for a way to creatively express himself and find his artistic voice.

He was not enrolled in any of our art classes and was searching for a way to be able to learn as much as he could about various artistic approaches. During a very short time-frame, his dedication, interest, and involvement in the field grew at such a phenomenal rate that, aged 16, we celebrated his first solo exhibition in the Learning Commons in June.

Pablo Muriel’s first, and wildly successful, solo art exhibition was attenteded by ASM faculty, students, and community members, who enjoyed and shopped during the afternoon reception. All proceeds from the sale of Pablo’s art benefited La Fundacion Ayuda a la Audicion.

He raised over 1.000€! Pablo Muriel is what we want all of our art students to be; globally-minded, socially-aware, historically-influenced, talented, driven, influential, and skilled. He has started an artistic landslide in our school, with a number of students picking up paint brushes, pencils, and clay in their free time, because of his influence.

Following the exhibition, Pablo went to the prestigious San Francisco Art Institute´s summer college preparation program. This is an amazing institution that has fostered and featured an unparalleled number of highly influential artists for well over a hundred years. Incredible that he was accepted into this program, without having taken an art class!

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F O R PA B L O , I T I S A B U N D A N T LY C L E A R T H AT A R T I S N E I T H E R A PA S T I M E N O R A C A R E E R C H O I C E : I T I S H I S N AT I V E L A N G U A G E .”

MIKE SISSON, MS/US VISUAL ARTS TEACHER 49

A SM ANNUAL REP ORT 2017 - 2018

Music AMIS EUROPEAN MIDDLE SCHOOL HONOR O RC H E S T R A F E S T I VA L February 14-17, Madrid, Spain

AMIS EUROPEAN MIDDLE SCH O O L H O N O R B OYS C H O I R F E S T I VA L October 4-8 2017, Zurich, Switzerland This was our second year to be invited to participate in this festival, which involves students from over 12 international schools. Students audition for this festival after preparing music on their own and after school with Ms. Edenfield.

The trips includes five days of rehearsals, cultural activities and two fine performances.

AMIS SOLO/ENSEMBLE F E S T I VA L , B RU S S E L S , BELGIUM January 25-28 This festival involved 40 upper school students from choir and orchestra. These students prepared solos and small ensemble pieces for this festival. They performed their pieces for the community of the International School of Brussels and were adjudicated by professional musicians and teachers. Many of our students were asked to perform for master classes at the end of the festival.

This was our first year to host an AMIS event and it was met with great pleasure and enthusiasm from our community. With a great team of ASM teachers and parents, headed up by Joy Edenfield, we were able to host 54 visiting middle school orchestra students from several countries. These students were housed with ASM families and gave

UPPER SCHOOL WINTER CONCERT

two fabulous performances.

Students in Upper School choir, band, orchestra and jazz band gave a lovely performance of seasonal music to a large audience of the ASM community.

MAIS MIDDLE SCHOOL H O N O R C H O I R F E S T I VA L

CARING HANDS CONCERT

March 21-25, Lisbon, Portugal This festival, directed by Joy Edenfield, is mixed middle school festival involving nearly 100 students from many different international schools. Students learn 12 songs with their teacher can then come together for four days of rehearsals, cultural outings, and concert performances. This year, 15 students in grades 6-8 participated.

ANNUAL MUSIC CONCERTS Halloween Concert: the theme this year was Disney Villains. This concert featured Trudy Rutherford as the mistress of ceremonies, Cruella De Vil. Students from Middle and Upper School choir, orchestra, band, and jazz band performed in this fun pops concert.

Students from Middle School choir, orchestra and band were selected to give a special performance for the elderly community at Aravaca Senior Center in Aravaca. This was concert was organized by the students of the Caring Hands group at ASM and was conducted by Joy Edenfield.

AMERICAN EMBASSY C H R I S TM A S PA RT Y The Middle School chamber orchestra performed once again for the American Embassy children’s Christmas party which was held at the Ambassador’s Residence. More than 100 Embassy families were able to enjoy some holiday music under the direction of Joy Edenfield.

S P R I N G I N S T RU M E N TA L AND CHOR AL CONCERT Once again, the Middle and Upper School music ensembles gave a fine final performance this May.

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

Theater ASM high school Drama started this school year with a bang—or, rather, a break.

40 Hour Theater 2017 welcomed Navid Rezvani to our cadre of show business professionals who share their expertise and passion with our students. Mr. Rezvani, an internationally acclaimed breakdancer, not only wowed the high school with his inspirational speech in an all-school assembly, but also helped those who participated in 40 Hour give the best of themselves in their thoughts, words, and movements.

We continued challenging our young performers with our fall production, Ayn Rand’s Night of January 16th, a murder mystery in which 12 members of the audience sat in judgement at each performance. The mystery was not even revealed to the actors until the talk-back which took place after our last performance on Sunday.

The year was rounded out with Little Shop of Horrors, the off-Broadway hit that launched the careers of Menken and Ashman, who went on to Disney fame with The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.

The aim of the Drama program at ASM is to push our actors to their limits, but let them succeed brilliantly.

In stretching our students to their limits, they grow as thinkers, artists, and individuals while providing our community with not only entertainment, but the opportunity to look into the mirror of theater to see the beautiful and sometimes uncomfortable truths we find there.

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AT H L E T I C S

Making sport a damental part of learning and development B OYS AND GIRL S SOCCER

B OYS AND GIRL S BASKETBALL

170 students participate in our competitive and non-competitive teams.

Over 110 students participate in the different competitive teams.

Varsity Girls ISSA 4th Place JV Boys Pozuelo League 2nd Place Infantil A Boys Trofeo JDM Pozuelo Champions

Varsity Boys ISSA Champions JV Boys ISSA 3rd Place & Pozuelo Copa Primavera Champions Varsity Girls ISSA 2nd Place Infantil B Coed Trofeo Valle de Las Cañas Pozuelo Champions Benjamín A Coed Trofeo JDM Pozuelo Champions PreBenjamín B Coed Trofeo Liga Champions

GIRL S GYMNA STICS PRO GR AM Over 50 girls train hard to develop amazing gymnastics skills in different skills level groups.

B1 Champions B2 2nd Place

B OYS AND GIRL S VOLLEYBALL

Different individual champions in different events

Over 100 students participate in the different competitive teams.

Varsity Girls ISSA Champions Varsity/JV Boys ISSA 4th Place JV Girls Pozuelo Champions Infantil A Girls 2nd Place Pozuelo League & Copa Primavera Champions Alvín A Coed Pozuelo JDM Champions

COED CHEERLEADING Over 70 students participate in a Varsity Team, a Middle School Team, and MiniCheer as an After School Activity with Lower School students.

Alameda de Osuna Champions European Championship 3rd Place

COED GOLF Includes both Middle School and Upper School students.

COED TENNIS is offered as a noncompetitive activity to Lower School and Middle School students.

ISSA 3rd Place

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

ASM CHEER

55

A SM ANNUAL REP ORT 2017 - 2018

Finances REVENUE

!"#

0% 1% 0% 1%

2017 - 2018

0% 1% 1% 1%

2016 - 2017

Transportation Interest & exchanges Grants and donations Other income

97%

98%

Tuition

EXPENSES 1%

1% 7%

9%

9%

9% 2017 - 2018

2%

2016 - 2017

3% 1%

1%

8%

69%

ASSETS

LIABILITIES

20%

37%

62%

Educational program expenses General and contracted expenses

2017 - 2018

77%

3%

Fixed assets

Current liabilities

Current assets

Long term liabilities

Cash and equivalents

Equity 56

Tax expenses Depreciation

1%

2017 - 2018

Professional development

Campus maintenance

8% 72%

Salaries, benefits, and social charges

B UBUILDING I L D I N G A AT TR R AADITION D I T I O N OF O FEXCELLENCE EXCELLENCE

REVENUES

A S M O P E R A T E S A S A N O T- F O R PROFIT SCHOOL WITH ANY SURPLUSES REINVESTED INTO THE SCHOOL.

ENROLLMENT AND HEADCOUNT

1%

1%

0%

1%

1% 1% 167 947

943

0% 0% 146

145 873

884 142

864

‘12-’13

‘13-’14

151

148

‘14-’15 Enrollment

98% 97%

881

‘15-’16

‘16-’17

‘17-’18

Headcount

‘17-’18

‘16-’17

Tuition

Interest & exchanges

Transportation

Grants and donations

Other income

The primary source of income of the school is tuition, 97% of the total revenue.

Operational expenses are mainly driven by human resources expenditure, accounting for 70% of the total expenditure.

The headcount has been increasing steadily to meet the needs of a higher enrollment and an increase in program quality.

The new facilities are funded by capital funds raised by the school, not by standard tuition income.

5577

The school is fiscally sound and well balanced. There is no short-term or long-term debt.

The school is in good shape to start the new 10 year plan, driven by People, Program and Plant.

A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

Families learning together 58

BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

In the spring of 2018, we initiated the Parent Lancer Lecture Series which consists of sessions, talks, and workshops that provide an opportunity for our ASM family to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the greater community, as well as from outside speakers and professionals.

Presenters offered casual talks, lectures and hands-on workshops, on a variety of topics to include a wider audience.

• Humans vs Machines: Understanding what Data, Machine Learning, and AI Means for our Future

• Raising Happy and Healthy Kids in a Digital Generation • 8-Week Mindfulness Course for Parents • Nutrition and Superfoods Workshop for parents and kids • How to have the best LinkedIn profile ASM’s parent volunteer group is coordinated through the Development Office and is organized into three distinct groups that work to integrate the ASM community.

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A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

Parent Lancers in action

60

BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

THE WELCOME COMMITTEE The goals of this group are to assist new families as they transition to ASM, to connect families with other families and with the school, and to establish a learning community that shares their experience, knowledge and expertise with one another.

THE EVENTS COMMITTEE This committee encourages parents to assist in the planning and implementation of schoolwide social events such as Family Day, the Halloween Carnival, Teacher & Staff Appreciation Day, and the International Festival. They work together as a team to provide a social context within which the community can interact and get to know each other on a personal level.

SPIRIT COMMITTEE GO LANCERS! promotes awareness of and involvement in ASM activities, school identity, and sports. This year plans have been initiated to create an online spirit store with ASM products for both current families and alumni.

Spirit fosters a positive community environment and a sense of unity, creating the “we� feeling at ASM. 61

A SM ANNUAL REP ORT 2017 - 2018

DEVELOPMENT

Transforming future learning In our rapidly changing world, strategic planning ensures that ASM provides our student body, both now and in the future, with the skills, attitudes, and understandings they will need to be successful.

ASM has a long standing tradition of excellence by design through continued investment in People, our staff, Program, our resources, and Plant, our facilities. Strategic planning has allowed student learning at ASM to grow and develop by continuously adjusting the direction of the organization to the changing environment.

Investments in the arts, physical education, and in common areas has created new, exciting, and enriching learning environments that have resulted in an increase in student performance levels.

Learning for the future will be increasingly

• Integrated across subject areas.

• Connected with real world experiences.

• Focused on more complex performance tasks.

• Increasingly interactive and collaborative (teamlearning).

Over the past decade, the growth in facilities at ASM has gone hand in hand with increasing opportunities for learning and a focus on academic excellence.

62

BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

Our goal is to create new opportunities for 21st century learning so that ASM students go into the world with the skills for:

C R E AT I V I T Y

CRITICAL THINKING

C O M M U N I C AT I O N

C O L L A B O R AT I O N

CITIZENSHIP

And are ready to make a difference.

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A S M A NNUA L RE P ORT 2017 - 2018

THE FIRST STEP Phase 1 of this plan, an Athletics Annex, began during the summer of 2018 and includes converting the baseball sand field into a turf multipurpose field and adding a new building with teaching space, changing rooms, toilets, storage space, and a concession stand.

64

BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

ASM’S DEVELOPMENT PL AN

Creating extraordinary learning requires constant development. In that spirit, the ASM Board of Trustees approved a ten-year Facilities Master Plan to make 21st Century Learning fully operational at ASM. This Development Plan combines the construction of new spaces as well as the renovation of existing ones.

The financial model does not rely on loans, as ASM is fiscally sound. This project will be paid for through a combination of regular capital fund raises and philanthropic donations.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

LEARNING FOR AND IN THE FUTURE C R E AT I N G I N N O VAT I V E AND INVITING 21ST CENTURY L E A R N I N G S PA C E S D E V E LO P M E N TA L D E S I G N M A K I N G L E A R N I N G S PA C E S T H AT F I T O U R S T U D E N T S G R E E N S PAC E MAKING ASM A LIVING, L E A R N I N G L A B O R ATO RY S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y M A K I N G E N V I R O N M E N TA L S TE WA R DSH I P A D ESI G N F E AT U R E O F A S M

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A SM ANNUAL REP ORT 2017 - 2018

A SM ALUMNI

A world of experience N E W A LU M N I C O O R D I N ATO R

CL ASS OF 1998 REUNION

A new Alumni Coordinator position has been added to the Communication and Development team in order to build and strengthen the existing program at ASM. Daniel Grzywacz, a veteran Business and History teacher in the Upper School assumed his duties as of September first. Dan believes, “Alumni help to create the identity of the school in so many ways and are an integral part of the ASM community.” He has been busy researching and creating new initiatives, a newsletter, webpage and a virtual bulletin board that will connect our proud alumni across the globe.

On July 13th, the Class of 1998 celebrated their 20th reunion on the campus at ASM. The Anniversary Reunion commenced at noon with campus tours, group photos and a paella luncheon. The eighteen ‘98ers joined with present and retired staff to pay tribute to the school and remember times together.

Janet Walls, Ms. Fernandez, Anne Harvey Mustienes, Juan Ortiz, Elizabeth Jane Smith, Mariano Imroane, Peter Trayling, Madame Sanchez, Rosario Gayarre, Ms. Garcia, and Julie Von Essen were familiar faces for our former students.

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

W H O W E A R E : T H E A LU M N I S U RV E Y We asked and you responded. These are some of the things we found out from the recent alumni survey of 660 respondents.

We have a multitude of occupations ranging from actors, aerospace logicians, teachers, diplomats, social workers, fragrance executives, talent agents, and translators to bankers, marketing executives, urban planners and members of the armed forces of various countries.

Of 660 alumni polled, approximately 308 live in the United States, 195 in Spain, 26 in the United Kingdom, 22 in various European countries, 10 in Canada, 5 in Japan, 4 in Mexico, 4 in South Korea, and the rest in countries, ranging from Australia, Dubai, and China to Chile, Brazil, and Argentina.

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BUILDING A TR ADITION OF EXCELLENCE

Our alumni were asked to remember their educational experience at ASM and the atmosphere of the school in the years they attended. In their own words, ASM was:

“Diverse, cultural, and enlightened” “ G O O D E D U C AT I O N , GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE, FUN” “An honor, a privilege, helping people to become mature by learning how to make their own decisions”

“Educational excellence, friendships” “ I N T E R N AT I O N A L , M U LT I C U LT U R A L , A SENSE OF HOME” W

“

M

E

A

N I N G F U L , E L L - R O U N D E D , E N G A G E D T E A C H E R S ”

“Friendship, inclusivity, excellent teachers” “AC A D E M I C E XC E L L E N C E , TOLER ANCE, HAPPINESS”

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ALUMNI

What ASM meant to me The 2018 Commencement speech by Zoubin Ghahramani, Chief Scientist at Uber.

ASM alumni are changing the world.

Zoubin Ghahramani, class of 1986, returned to ASM this year as the 2018 Commencement speaker. He is currently a professor at Cambridge University in the UK and serves as the Chief Scientist at Uber, where he leads their AI research. We want to share his commencement speech because it conveys the deep connection our alumni have to their experience at ASM. Above From left to right: (Brother) Sassan Ghahramani, (sister) Azita Ghahramani, both class of 1979 and Zoubin Ghahramani

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B U E N A S TA R D E S .

E S TOY E N C A N TA D O D E E S TA R A Q U Í E N ASM CELEBR ANDO ESTE I M P O R TA N T E D Í A C O N L A CL ASE DEL 2018.

classmates came to my rescue and convinced these kids not to bother me. I also had a classmate from Libya, another country the US was practically at war with. But we were both fortunate to be in a school that taught tolerance, that taught that people should be respected regardless of where they are from and what they look like. These values are now deeply rooted in me; this sense that we are all citizens of the same planet, that we should care about all humans, and that we should strive to live in a world where national boundaries don’t constrain human potential and freedoms.

It’s an honour to be here, to celebrate this wonderful day with our graduates and their families.

My family moved from Iran to Spain at the beginning of 1976, just as Franco had died and Spain was making the remarkable peaceful transition from Dictatorship to Democracy. My father was a diplomat at the Iranian embassy here in Madrid. My older sister, brother and I enrolled at ASM, which soon became our home and community. All three of us graduated from ASM eventually.

ANOTHER THING ASM TAU G H T M E WA S TO H AV E A D EEP LOV E F O R LE ARNING. I have to admit, I was one of those kids who really liked school - maybe because this is such a great school. The teachers here encouraged me to follow my curiosity and push myself academically.

I’d like to call out my sister Azita, and my brother Sassan, both ASM class of 1979, who flew in from the US to be here today. (Also my mother who put up with us and put us all through school.)

I went off to college in the States to study computer science and cognitive science, taking on lots of loans. My family had made a clear choice: to sell what we had - from the car down to the carpets - to help pay for education. This was a good choice. Thanks Dad and Mom for the sacrifice.

A lot happened between 1976 and 1986 when I graduated. In ‘79, just as my brother and sister were graduating and moving to the US, Iran had a revolution, the government was overthrown, and a new Islamic government came into power. My father lost his job and the savings and secure future he thought he had built for us vanished. My father tried his hand at other businesses unsuccessfully and I remember slowly having to downsize our life and sell our possessions to help pay for my brother and sister’s college education and my own schooling at ASM. We were running out of money and options. I want to now thank the ASM administration for something they did 33 years ago - I’m not sure if anyone still remembers this - but I certainly do - they gave me a scholarship to help me finish my last year here.

I went on to do a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, followed by a postdoctoral position in Artificial Intelligence in Toronto, Canada, ending up in the UK now as a professor at Cambridge University. I’m also now serving as the Chief Scientist at Uber, the global transportation technology company, where I lead their AI research.

I spend of a lot of my time thinking about the future, and I’ll now move on from my story to talking about artificial intelligence and the future.

From 1979 on, and sadly still to this day, the US and Iran which were formerly allies, became political enemies. A couple of the children in school thought that this meant they could pick on me for being an Iranian kid at an American school. Fortunately, the vast majority of my

WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT INTELLIGENCE THEY OFTEN THINK ABOUT THE BR AIN.

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civilizations. In the industrial revolution we used steam power and electricity to automate manual labour. In this information revolution we are using computers, algorithms, data and artificial intelligence to automate cognitive labour — jobs and tasks that require brains not brawn.

Let’s start with the brain, which all of you have been cultivating here at ASM for the last few years.

The human brain is a remarkable organ. It processes sensory information, lays down memories, controls our bodies and allows us to communicate, like I’m doing now speaking to you. Amazingly, it does all of this consuming the power of a very dim 20W light bulb.

All this may seem frightening, but it’s also exhilarating. Technology can give us superpowers, abilities that no human had in history. In the words of Arthur C Clarke, “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”.

You might think that the brain stores a vast amount of information, but actually the information content of the brain isn’t huge.

Information can only get into the brain in two ways, from our genes and from our senses. The entire human genome is less than a GigaByte, less than a memory stick. You can estimate the amount of information from our senses by thinking about watching a lifetime of DVD quality video and audio. Perhaps 1% of that raw sensory data gets stored in the brain, or about 2TB, or a hard-drive’s worth.

L E T ’ S TA L K A B O U T T H I S MAGICAL FUTURE. Self-driving cars will transform how we move from place to place. Owning a car, in the future, will be like owning a horse is in the present - people will own a car only if they enjoy driving, not to get from A to B. Over a million people die annually in preventable road accidents - autonomous driving will dramatically reduce these numbers, as well as freeing up billions of hours of life spent driving or sitting in traffic. Cities will be transformed.

Imagine what we can do with all the freed up parking space when cars go from sitting parked 90% of the time, to a future when they are transporting people 90% of the time.

So that remarkable 20W human brain that powers our consciousness, that stores our life experience and guides are actions, ends up storing only around a memory stick and a hard-drive worth about the world. Despite this, computers are still not able to do many of the things we do well, but they are slowly catching up.

Most AI researchers agree that within the next few decades, computers will be able to do many of the things humans do, better than humans.

Urban transportation will also move into the third vertical dimension. By 2020 Uber and its partners have committed to trials of aerial ridesharing — think Jetson’s-like flying cars. By 2023, that’s in only 5 years, the plan is to have a commercial service of affordable electric urban ridesharing.

Already, we have AI systems that can play Jeopardy, Atari games, Chess, Go, and even Poker better than humans. Computers can answer questions, translate between different languages, and recognise speech. They can recognise objects and faces in photographs, and detect tumours in medical scans. Financial algorithms execute billions of dollars in trades every day, and self-driving cars have driven millions of miles so far.

AI is also entering the realm of medicine, and has the promise to transform it. Combining genetic data, patient information, and sophisticated algorithms we will be able to create precise and personalised diagnoses and treatments.

How will we interact with our AI systems? Well, we already have rudimentary conversational AI systems - think of Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri or the Google Home. These conversational systems will get much better - we’ll soon be able to have real dialogues with them and they

So how will all this impact our future? We’re entering a new era. We could call it the information revolution, similar in scope to the agricultural or industrial revolution. In the agricultural revolution we tamed plants and animals in order to feed ourselves, and we built

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will help us navigate complex tasks and be our personal assistants. They may even become companions, entertaining us, engaging in chitchat.

years. I was lucky not to be in those shoes, to to be here in Spain.

Which brings me to my second point: don’t underestimate luck, when you think about your present life and your future.

AI is also being used to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges. From climate modelling for tackling climate change, to dealing with rare diseases and bacterial resistance, to microfinance to help small businesses bring people out of poverty in the developing world.

LU CK - B OTH G O O D AND B A D I S PA R T O F L I F E , B U T WE SHOULD MAKE THE B E S T O F W H AT O U R LU C K GIVES US, AND CONSIDER THE RO LE O F LU CK WHEN THINKING ABOUT OTHERS.

Of course, all this change brings with it risks.

Think about the disruption to employment - in about 30 out of 50 US states, truck driving is the most common occupation. What will happen when self-driving trucks, which have already been deployed, become commonplace?

Which jobs of the present are immune to the changes the information revolution brings?

Lawyers? Accountants? Doctors? Teachers?

Also, remember that life is not a solitary journey — it’s a journey we take with the people around us, our community, our families, our mentors.

I’ve been fortunate to have incredible mentors all along — starting from my inspiring teachers at ASM. There are too many to call them all out but l want to mention Ann Mustienes and Mike Tribe, sitting in the audience, who it turns out also happened to teach my brother and sister in Iran!

We certainly live in an era of great changes.

So what kind of advice can I give to our young graduates assembled here, and to my own children, nieces and nephew in the audience?

The future will certainly be different from the past, but we have to proceed optimistically.

Remember — the future doesn’t exist — we create it! All this technology will shine a light on what it means to be human — if we have the technical means to provide for all human needs, what kind of Utopia should we build? Let’s find out what it means to have happy fulfilled and meaningful human lives. And let’s use technology and the power of the sciences, the arts, economics and politics to build such lives for all of humanity.

My mentors have helped shape me, even to this day - I’m 48 now but I still draw on the guidance of people who I can learn from. I’ve also tried to remember to give back this mentorship, by being a teacher and advisor to others. In fact, what I’m proudest of professionally are the achievements of all the people I’ve mentored.

Helping others can be deeply satisfying.

I’d also like to encourage you all to reinvent yourself every few years, to try new things, to not worry about failure. Whether it’s the challenge of moving to a new country, changing your career path, or taking on a new sport or hobby, all these changes and experiences will enrich your life more than money or material possessions will.

Drawn from my own experience…

I’ve already mentioned the first thought, about trying to be tolerant. About having a global perspective - trying to see things from the point of view of others.

Finally, make sure to follow your passions.

Because with a tiny bit of help and luck, if you do things you love, you’ll work hard and do them well, and great things will happen!

PUT TIN G YO U RSELF IN OTHER’S SHOES. I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like had we not moved to Spain - had we stayed in Iran. Boys my age ended up fighting the Iran-Iraq war - a terrible war which lasted 8

Congratulations Class of 2018, enjoy this day, the transition it brings, and beginning of your future!”

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F E AT U R E S P R E A D 2018

ASM hosts learning

AMIS AMIS European Middle School Honor Orchestra Festival The Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) is dedicated to the promotion of excellence at all levels of music education in international schools and aims to advance the education of students and their teachers in global issues and cultural diversity through the performance and study of music. In February, ASM hosted the first AMIS festival which was a constructive learning experience for our Middle School students and met with great enthusiasm from our community. The 54 visiting middle school orchestra musicians came from a variety of international schools where they practiced the music before joining forces and creating a unique orchestral experience. The students gave two fabulous performances. A devoted and enthusiastic team of ASM teachers and parents, directed by Joy Edenfield, were able to house the visiting students with ASM families.

This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to be proud hosts and work with other exceptional musicians.

MADMUN Equality, Prosperity, and Unity In April, ASM hosted it´s 9th Model United Nations Conference. For an entire weekend, 125 students throughout Europe became diplomats and were given the responsibility of the roles they take on. The participants of MADMUN, come together to debate, discuss and consider issues that affect our world today, analyzing and learning how they can make a difference.

MADMUN leaves participants with a new perspective on our world and of their roles in shaping it.

Participating schools were:

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American School of Barcelona American School of Paris Cambridge House Community College The Oporto International School The Olive Tree School American School of Valencia American School of Madrid

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I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C H O O L S P O RT A SS O C I AT I O N S O C C E R TO U R N A M E N T The ISSA Boys Soccer Tournament 2017 was held at ASM in November 2017. Eight internationals schools participated as well as the ASM JV and Varsity teams.

Fernando Torres, former Átletico player, inaugurated the tournament with an inspirational speech about what it means to be a team player and took photos with each of the teams. Perhaps it was due to the excitement and comfort of the home field, that led the ASM Varsity Team to become the Tournament Champions and the Junior Varsity Team garnered third place. But we believe it is the excellent focus, teamwork and the skill of our athletes and coaches. A sweet home win! We are very proud of our athletes.

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ROB OMED On April 21-22, 2018, ASM hosted the MAIS Robomed Tournament with visiting schools from Tunis and Rome.

All ASM divisions, Lower, Middle and Upper Schools hosted a team and proved to be fantastic hosts and tough competitors. The students were commended for their problem-solving and coding skills, as well as their commendable sportsmanship.

The Lower School Team won the Robomed Robotics Tournament despite being the youngest and least practiced team in the competition. They also won 1st place in the Maze Throw and Bucket Challenge Events.

American School of Madrid (ASM) Deutsche Schule (DSL) International School of Aberdeen (ISA) International School of London (ISL) Southbank International School (SIS) St. Michael’s College (SMC) St Dominic’s Lisbon (SDIS) Bilkent Laboratory & International School (BLIS) The European International School of Barcelona (EISB)

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Annual Report 2017 - 2018