Focus Winter 2009/2010 by The American School Foundation, A.C.

Focus Winter 2009/2010

the american school foundation, a.c.

An Art Fair to Remember Leonora Carrington and

ASF Students Share the Spotlight

New to the School? Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Got Lots of Help

Financial Aid What It Is, How to Get It

And Baby Makes Four Challenges of the Second Child

A magazine for alumni, parents, students, faculty & friends

contents

Winter 09/10 02/ From the Executive Director 04/ From the Editorial Board 05/ From the Board of Trustees

Those thrilling, scary first days by josé segebre

22/ A Helping Hand All about financial aid

Campus Currents 24/ A Fair to Remember ASF’s dazzling 40th Art Fair

26/ Bear Tales Not your parents’ Homecoming

family forum

06/ News and Events

27/ Dealing with Burns

Gritos, parleys, fairs and other goings-on

A family’s guide

Departments & Divisons

28/ Got a Second?

09/ ECC The Crayon Chronicles by anna siegal

10/ LS What’s the Idea? by jolanta nitoslawska

11/ MS

When baby makes four

Student Voices 30/ For the Cause Fiction by paul burgess

Institutional Advancement

by allen jackson

32/ The Annual Scholarship Drive & the Capital Campaign

12/ US

Alumni

“Did I Get It?”

By Students, For Students by helen kang

13/ Parent Association Pics Fix Picnic’s Kicks

14/ Athletics & Extended Learning

35/ Profile: Allan Fis (’95) A picture of success by maría josé magallanes

36/ Reunions Who got together... and what they did

A Better Way Thanks, Skipper Net Gains by kimberley neidermire

37/ Milestones

16/ The Arts

38/ Class Notes

Enter Learning by rosanna cesarman

Keeping in touch with the ASF family, far and wide

Focus on education

39/ In Memoriam

17/ Tools of the Trade

39/ From the Mailroom

Prepping for an art career

Births and marriages

by manisha sharma

kids’ corner

18/ Success Stories

40/ Young Couplets

ASF’s special education program

“Synonym Poems” from the 4th Grade

by guy cheney

2 Focus

20/ The New Kid in Town

Focus 1

contents

Winter 09/10 02/ From the Executive Director 04/ From the Editorial Board 05/ From the Board of Trustees

Those thrilling, scary first days by josé segebre

22/ A Helping Hand All about financial aid

Campus Currents 24/ A Fair to Remember ASF’s dazzling 40th Art Fair

26/ Bear Tales Not your parents’ Homecoming

family forum

06/ News and Events

27/ Dealing with Burns

Gritos, parleys, fairs and other goings-on

A family’s guide

Departments & Divisons

28/ Got a Second?

09/ ECC The Crayon Chronicles by anna siegal

10/ LS What’s the Idea? by jolanta nitoslawska

11/ MS

When baby makes four

Student Voices 30/ For the Cause Fiction by paul burgess

Institutional Advancement

by allen jackson

32/ The Annual Scholarship Drive & the Capital Campaign

12/ US

Alumni

“Did I Get It?”

By Students, For Students by helen kang

13/ Parent Association Pics Fix Picnic’s Kicks

14/ Athletics & Extended Learning

35/ Profile: Allan Fis (’95) A picture of success by maría josé magallanes

36/ Reunions Who got together... and what they did

A Better Way Thanks, Skipper Net Gains by kimberley neidermire

37/ Milestones

16/ The Arts

38/ Class Notes

Enter Learning by rosanna cesarman

Keeping in touch with the ASF family, far and wide

Focus on education

39/ In Memoriam

17/ Tools of the Trade

39/ From the Mailroom

Prepping for an art career

Births and marriages

by manisha sharma

kids’ corner

18/ Success Stories

40/ Young Couplets

ASF’s special education program

“Synonym Poems” from the 4th Grade

by guy cheney

2 Focus

20/ The New Kid in Town

Focus 1

From the Executive Director

appy Holidays from ASF! We wish you and your families a season of wonder, excitement and generosity. It is a season of giving around the world, and we would like to share with you some of what our community has been doing to celebrate and give to those around us. The Parent Association continues its generosity to our faculty and staff, who will enjoy a holiday brunch as well as special gifts this month. And the virtuous cycle of giving continues, as some faculty and staff members choose to forgo their own gifts and donate the money to the Annual Scholarship Drive. Our students and their families are contributing generously to gift baskets, which will surely brighten the holidays for our maintenance and support staff. We are also in the midst of our annual toy drive. The toys will be distributed to this neighborhood’s needy children after the New Year, in celebration of Día de los Reyes. The holiday bustle is hardly a change in pace at ASF, after a busy and exciting autumn, full of our famous annual events, including the Golf Tournament, the Art Fair and Homecoming. We are happy to say these special events have given us a great boost of community spirit as well as funds to support scholarships, building projects on campus and other endeavors. We hope you were able to take part in at least one of these gatherings –if not, the photographs and articles in this issue of Focus are the next best thing. As you have probably heard, influenza A (H1N1) returned to Mexico City as predicted, late in the summer. Thanks to our preventive measures and the amazing cooperation of parents, students, faculty and staff, the campus has remained open for business –the business of learning. If you have been on campus, you noticed our health filters in place, taking temperatures and dispensing hand sanitizer to all who enter. We encourage you and all our valued community members to continue taking precautions to ensure a healthy holiday season and 2010. Aside from an end to cold and flu season and a new semester full of possibilities, one big milestone in 2010 is our SACS review. Every five years, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools visits and evaluates ASF as part of the accreditation process. With the visit scheduled for this spring, people in all departments and at all levels within the school are already evaluating our programs and processes, issuing commendations and suggestions, in an effort toward continual improvement –kind of like New Year’s resolutions for the school! Whatever your resolutions are for 2010, we thank you for your continuing support and enthusiasm for ASF. Each one of us makes a decision to form part of this community, and your generosity of spirit is truly inspiring. Paul Williams Executive Director 2 Focus

contributors PAUL BURGESS has nursed a passion for writing fiction and poetry since participating in an Ohio statewide creative writing competition in seventh and eighth grade. “For the Cause” (page 30) grew out of a junior year assignment. “It is the culmination of three things,” Paul, 17, says. “Reading a romanticized view of the Irish independence movement in Harry Casey’s books, the encouragement from Ms. Ver Duin, my creative writing teacher, and an unhealthy obsession with everything about Ireland, particularly its traditional music.” GUY CHENEY has been teaching for 13 years, the past three at ASF, with two daughters (Oriana and Dalva) attending the school. He took on the task of writing about ASF’s special education program, Services for Academic Success (“Success Stories,” page 18), knowing very little about it. “My only experience with SAS was the occasional student who would leave my classroom to take a test,” Guy says. “The biggest surprise was how long Maru Gutiérrez has been working on the program. I think that stability, in addition to the hard work of the resource teachers, is what has made it so successful.” ELLIOTT AUSTIN KUHN came to ASF from Southern California this year to teach English, and quickly got into the spirit of things by writing about the latest incarnation of Homecoming for Focus (“Bear Tales,” page 26). “I took the Homecoming game out to dinner and wound up with the American Dream,” he says. JOSÉ SEGEBRE was born in Monterrey, grew up in Honduras and lived in Iowa before joining the ASF Office of Communications. A relative newcomer himself, it was natural for José to explore for Focus readers the challenges faced by incoming ASF students (“The New Kid in Town,” page 20).

From the Executive Director

FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD

acation time is close at hand, and for all of us in the ASF community, that is bound to be welcome news as this busy and exhilarating first semester draws to a close. Leaf through this edition of Focus and you’ll see what we mean.

Homecoming took a new turn this year, with our popular and skilled girls soccer team headlining the event. On page 26, you’ll see how Homecoming has evolved over the years and is attracting a whole new generation of students. The Golf Tournament, now in its 7th year, has become another time-honored ASF tradition. Check page 32 for pictures and to see just how much money this fun daylong outing raised for scholarships. Most recently, the 40th Art Fair was a huge success. Thousands of people flooded onto campus November 7 for this event, which is so emblematic of ASF’s dedication to learning, community and the arts. You can check page 24 to see pictures and read about some of the artists who took part. Also, on page 6, you can see how a special preview of this year’s Art Fair brought together a famous family of artists and our community’s biggest art fans in support of a bright future for our talented student body.

Focus Winter 2009/2010

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL FOUNDATION, A.C.

AN ART FAIR TO REMEMBER

Leonora Carrington and ASF Students Share the Spotlight

NEW TO THE SCHOOL? You’ve Got Lots of Help

FINANCIAL AID What It Is, How to Get It

AND BABY MAKES FOUR Challenges of the Second Child

A magazine for alumni, parents, students, faculty & friends

On the cover: The 40th Annual ASF Art Fair: A major artistic showcase Photo by: José Luis Santa Cruz

4 Focus

All these events are part of ASF’s focused effort to build community. Making new people feel welcome is a big part of that effort as well. At an international school like this, we have a constant flow of new families and students. On page 20, we take a look at what the school does to welcome and orient newcomers. Of course, we count on you to do your part as well, whether you’re a veteran ASF family, a student, an employee, alumnus/alumna or friend of the school. Thank you for making ASF a welcoming community for all. We hope you enjoy this issue of Focus and that it gives you a sense of ASF, whether you’re on campus as you read this, or thousands of miles away. As always, we welcome your feedback and letters for publication at communications@asf.edu.mx. Sloane Starke, Head of Communications and the Focus Editorial Board

Focus

A magazine for ASF Alumni, Parents, Students, Faculty and Friends Winter 2009/2010 Vol. VIII | No. 3 | Mexico City Paul Williams, Executive Director Susan Olivo, Head of Early Childhood Center Evan Hunt, Head of Lower School Veronika Saldaña, Interim Head of Middle School Amy Gallie, Head of Upper School Board of Trustees Rosa (Marentes) Pisinger (’87), Chair Cathy Austin (’78), 1st Vice Chair David Blakemore, 2nd Vice Chair Carla Ormsbee, Secretary Joan Liechty, Treasurer César Buenrostro (’85) Murray Case Adolfo Crespo (’76) Patty Dillon Allman (’75) Alfonso De Angoitia (’80) Adolfo Fastlicht (’84) Fernando Franco Maria de Lourdes Galván Frances Huttanus Tito Vidaurri Martin Werner Carlos Williamson Editorial Board Adele Goldschmied, Cindy Tanaka (’91), Clementina Aguilar, Kenneth Andersen, Michele Beltran, Paul Williams, Xenia Castro (’96), José Segebre Juan de Jesús Breene Editorial Staff Sloane Starke, Editor-in-Chief & Chair of the Editorial Board Kelly Arthur Garrett, Editorial Consultant Daniela Graniel, Art Director José Luis Santa Cruz, Photography Staff Writers Kenneth Andersen, Leo Trias, José Segebre, Sloane Starke Alumni Relations María José Magallanes alumni@asf.edu.mx Parent Association Aliki Elias, President Blanca Santacruz, Vice President Advertising Sales: 5227 4942 FOCUS es una publicación trimestral editada por The American School Foundation, A.C., Sur 136 Núm. 135, Col. Las Américas, México, D.F., C.P. 01120. Editora Responsable: Sloane Alexandria Starke. Derechos de Autor: Licitud de Título y de Contenido 16220. Reserva de Derecho: 04-2008111212240200-102. Distribuido por The American School Foundation, A.C. Sur 136 Núm. 135, Col. Las Américas, México, D.F., C.P. 01120. Imprenta MG Impresores, José Morán #139, Col. Daniel Garza, C.P. 11830 México, D.F. Se prohibe la reproducción total o parcial de los textos de esta revista sin previa autorización escrita de The American School Foundation, A.C.

FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

n behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to welcome you to ASF’s 121st year. As you know, we are the oldest continuously operating American international school abroad, which means we have been educating global citizens for many years. The first semester of the school year has been positive and energetic. Students and faculty have demonstrated a sense of purpose that can literally be seen in the hallways through the student work that has been displayed on the walls. That sense of purpose has also been reflected in the many events that have taken place so far. There is, furthermore, a sense of companionship among the diverse students who interact every day. If you visit the campus, you will feel it!

During these months, the Board of Trustees has been focusing its attention on seeking philanthropic support for our scholarship program and our “Great Minds Need Great Spaces” campaign. Thanks to the efforts of the Fundación Amparo, we will soon begin construction of the Angeles Espinosa Yglesias Theater, which will give our students an opportunity to experience the arts more closely. From the outset, this school year promised to be an active one, and it has proven to be just that. Many initiatives have taken root. ASF students and faculty are dedicating their time to achieving academic excellence. Our campus continues to move forward. As we approach the holiday season, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all and your loved ones joy, peace, health and hope during this time and for the upcoming year. Rosa (Marentes) Pisinger (’87) Chair of the ASF Board of Trustees

FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Focus Winter 2009/2010

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL FOUNDATION, A.C.

AN ART FAIR TO REMEMBER

Leonora Carrington and ASF Students Share the Spotlight

NEW TO THE SCHOOL? You’ve Got Lots of Help

FINANCIAL AID What It Is, How to Get It

AND BABY MAKES FOUR Challenges of the Second Child

A magazine for alumni, parents, students, faculty & friends

On the cover: The 40th Annual ASF Art Fair: A major artistic showcase Photo by: José Luis Santa Cruz

4 Focus

Focus

FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

NEWS & EVENTS

Guests admire Leonora Carrington’s new piece “Ancestor” on October 19 at a benefit exhibition and reception previewing ASF’s Novmber 7 Art Fair. Seen in the foreground from left to right are Daniel Weisz Carrington, Leonora Carrington, Silvia Sacal, Pablo Weisz Carrington, José Sacal and ASF Parent Association President Aliki Elias.

And a Student Shall Lead Us

Ding Dong, Award Calling!

When parent-teacher meetings started up at the Middle School in October, there was a third party at each conference —the student. In fact, it was the student who actually conducted the meeting, aimed at keeping parents informed of their child’s academic progress and goals. The teacher? A mere observer. “Having students take charge of the conference makes them more accountable for what they are learning,” says Veronika Saldaña, interim head of Middle School. “It also creates a partnership between the home and the school that is hard to get in any other way.” The conversion from “parent-teacher conferences” to “student-led conferences” also fosters pride in achievement, a sense of responsibility and leadership skills. “The student-led conference is the best student success-building tool that has come along in a long time,” Ms. Saldaña says.

Beauty products in the cause of feminism? Since 2007, Avon has injected new meaning into its slogan (“the company for women”) with its El Fondo Viva el Mañana program that awards cash prizes for efforts to improve society by empowering women. One recent winner was ASF Middle School counselor Jessica Rossier for work on behalf of indigenous women in the state of Puebla’s Sierra de Cuetzalan. Rossier, along with friend Patricia Medrano, is organizing workshops aimed at improving the standard of living in the heavily indigenous central Puebla mountain municipalities east of Mexico City. ”These workshops will be teaching empowerment and sustainable projects,” she says. “The project is still on its way, and now we have 20,000 pesos to carry out the first part.”

A Family Affair Members of the ASF community were able to spend an historic evening with the renowned surrealist artist Leonora Carrington and her family Monday, October 19, in benefit of the ASF Capital Campaign. The event, which featured pieces by Carrington, her sons Gabriel and Pablo Weisz Carrington and grandchildren Agatha, Pablo and Daniel (’08) Weisz, marked the first time three generations of the Carrington Weisz family have shown their work together. Parents, teachers, administrators, students and friends of the school bought tickets to attend the exhibition and reception at Galería Emilia Cohen, where a new piece by Carrington, entitled “Ancestor,” was unveiled. “This new work shows the same quality of ethereal, fantasy-like creatures that she and other Mexican surrealists have become so famous for,” said ASF Upper School art instructor Jason Schell, who was among the attendees. The event previewed the November 7 ASF Art Fair (see page 24), where more work by the family was on display. “One couldn’t help but notice the event was also a sort of passing of the torch to her sons, whose prints are so stylistically similar that it’s hard to distinguish them from her own,” Schell said. A percentage of the proceeds from all artwork sold at the event went to the Parent Association, which has designated the money for the school’s future Performing Arts Center, which includes the Angeles Espinosa Yglesias Theater.

¡VIVA MÉXICO! There was a grito for everybody in September as ASF celebrated Mexico’s fiestas patrias. In the true spirit of independence, each academic division —Early Children Center, Lower School, Middle School and Upper School— organized its own celebration in honor of the 199th anniversary of the nation’s independence.

6 Focus

ASF and the Flu: A Careful Strategy Flu season arrived in October, but ASF started gearing up for it shortly after school started in August. On September 7, flu filter stations appeared at the different entrances to campus, with volunteers taking temperatures and dispensing hand sanitizer to people entering campus. School bus supervisors carry out the same measures as each child boards the bus in the morning, and parents are being urged to keep a close eye on their children before making the decision to send them to school. These measures have surely helped mitigate the spread of the flu, both seasonal and H1N1. Nevertheless, several dozen cases have been detected among the ASF population and are subject to strict protocols. Students and staff members who test positive for the flu (seasonal, H1N1 or any other strain) are required to stay home for seven days, or 24 hours after symptoms disappear if the symptoms last longer than seven days. In addition, those who have a family member who is ill with the flu are required to stay home at least five days even if they do not develop symptoms themselves. Returning to campus after the flu requires a doctor’s note. ASF is fully complying with all guidelines provided by the Mexican Health and Education Secretariats, as well as the recommendations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). As of November, this has meant closing individual classrooms, but not the whole campus. If two or more children from the same classroom get the flu within a period of seven days, the entire class is required to stay home for seven days, while the teachers provide assignments via Internet that the students can work on at home

Books Galore Good books in English aren’t always easy to come by, but ASF student readers found a veritable paradise at the annual English-language Book Fair that took place in the Lower School Multipurpose Room on October 6, 7 and 8. Hundreds of titles from various publishers were on sale, gathered by the distributor Amazing Books. Some 4,000 books were bought, mostly by Lower School students (although there was a special ECC section as well). More than 400,000 pesos were taken in, of which just over 100,000 goes to the Parent Association, which sponsored the event and will use the money for projects and donations to be announced later. Two other fairs —Spanish-language books and used books— will take place this school year.

Calling All Grandparents By popular demand, Grandparents Day returns to the ECC on Tuesday, January 26, 2010. This will be the second annual celebration of the special relationship between children and their grandparents —or other “grandfriends.” In addition to observing the youngsters’ day at school and participating in activities with them, the older generation can purchase and dedicate a ceramic tile in their grandchild’s honor on a special wall that will be created in the patio. To participate, you’ll find registration forms on the ASF web site or contact Adele Goldschmied at adelegoldschmied@mac.com.

Focus 7

NEWS & EVENTS

And a Student Shall Lead Us

Ding Dong, Award Calling!

6 Focus

Focus 7

NEWS & EVENTS

Divisions & Departments / Early Childhood center Together at Last More than 2,000 people attended the College Fair, the annual ASF event that gives students a head start on the complex college admission process. With more than 150 universities from the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe sending representatives, students were able to gather literature and ask questions about such prestigious institutions as the University of Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins University, Marquette University, Bryn Mawr College, University of British Columbia, University of Oregon, UNAM, ITAM, UDLA and Anahuac. Attending the October 10th event on The American School campus were students from a number of American and international schools, including, of course, ASF.

The Humboldt Connection Middle School science teacher Tom Janota recently had the chance to study firsthand the actual plant specimens collected in Mexico by Alexander von Humboldt, the great German naturalist and geographer of the 18th and 19th centuries. Mr. Janota was in Berlin last summer along with Dr. Robert Bye of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) to present the paper “Did Humboldt shift his paradigm of botanical exploration on his arrival in New Spain?” at the Fifth International Humboldt Conference. Humboldt’s Mexican specimens are collected at the nearby Berlin-Dahlem Botanischer Garten. Said Mr. Janota of the experience, “Besides the chance to pursue an interest developed during my 2005 sabbatical, the research sharpened my understanding of the investigative process and provided ideas for our school’s Humboldt Botanical Garden.” Continuous improvement, he said, is vital. “This generation of students will be sent into a much more uncharted world,” he said. “ASF graduates will need to be extremely competitive to be the true trendsetters their families and nations expect them to be.”

Photo: Ninfa Victoria

The Crayon Chronicles An early appreciation of art offers ECC kids a lot more than pretty pictures. By Anna Siegal, ECC Art Teacher

Left to right: Middle School science teacher Tom Janota, UNAM’s Dr. Robert Bye and Dr. Robert Vogt of the Botanischer Garten in Berlin peer at a plant collected more than 200 years ago in Mexico.

very moment of every day, young children discover the world. They integrate each piece of information they receive into a worldview shaped by their experiences. The pace of this process is especially rapid in children under 7, so students in the Early Childhood Center are in a stage of development that is entirely formative. That means the opportunities they have, the feelings they experience and the values they develop will shape the rest of their lives. As the ECC art teacher, I try to offer my students opportunities that will leave them confident of their abilities in the visual arts and poised to enter the world as open-minded, knowledgeable and insightful art lovers. ECC art classes give children a variety of experiences —with materials, images and concepts— that help them develop skills they will use throughout their lives. For example, drawing develops pre-writing skills and motor control. Working in teams and sharing materials nurture social skills. But art in early childhood is much more than that. As they look at art from different cultures and time periods, and participate in the process of analyzing their own work and the work of

others, our ECC children are becoming fluent in a language more widely understood than Spanish or English. They are participating in a universal human process of communication. Feeling successful as visual artists allows our children, who are still in the early stages of fluency in speaking and writing, to communicate their most complex thoughts freely. As they learn to value this ability in themselves, they also learn to appreciate it in others, and to understand the satisfaction of an idea expressed, an image received, a connection made. The side-by-side processes of making art and looking at art, like speaking and listening or writing and reading, are essential to the growth of children’s conceptions of themselves as individuals and as members of a community. If I had only one goal as an art teacher, it would be to leave my students feeling empowered in the language of visual communication. Looking at art —real, serious, “adult” art— allows any viewer access to ideas from across the world and throughout time. What better way to help our students become global citizens than to value and encourage their appreciation of ideas that are unrestrained by culture, language or even time?

From the Head of School

StarCatchers As I wandered around our two new Pre-K classrooms recently, I asked myself how we go about setting up daily experiences that will get our youngest students off to a good start as creative problem-solvers. Here’s one example: In the Pre-K classrooms, teachers read How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers. Following the story, teachers set out boxes, ribbons, scraps of fabric and shiny paper, stickers, recycled materials, glitter and scissors and ask their students, “What can you make with these materials to catch a star?” This approach encourages children to experiment, to innovate. Instead of getting all the answers, they get the tools they need to find out what an answer might be. Teachers then give students time to reflect whether their new ideas are more effective than existing ideas. Most creative processes benefit enormously from teamwork. Good things happen in a classroom when students with common interests —but very different ways of thinking— get together to work on a project. At this early stage of their education, these young students are being given the opportunity to be innovative and to collaborate with their peers. Children perform better when they are in touch with things that inspire them and bring them joy. Education cannot focus only on the individual in isolation. Best learning occurs when there is social interaction and when teachers are sensitive to the children’s interests. Kudos to the ECC teachers who make this happen on a daily basis.

Susan Olivo Head of Early Childhood Center

Focus 9

NEWS & EVENTS

Photo: Ninfa Victoria

The Crayon Chronicles An early appreciation of art offers ECC kids a lot more than pretty pictures. By Anna Siegal, ECC Art Teacher

Left to right: Middle School science teacher Tom Janota, UNAM’s Dr. Robert Bye and Dr. Robert Vogt of the Botanischer Garten in Berlin peer at a plant collected more than 200 years ago in Mexico.

From the Head of School

Susan Olivo Head of Early Childhood Center

Focus 9

Divisions & Departments / lower school From the Head of School

Improved Integration A major initiative in the Lower School this year was to ensure that the computer, science and library programs complement what is taught in the classroom rather than operate in isolation. One way we accomplished this goal was by requiring computer, science and library teachers to work alongside homeroom teachers at the grade-level planning meetings. A new computer teacher, Ms. Rocio Salas, has been brought in from the Center for Teaching Excellence to work exclusively with Lower School students in a redesigned computer program. With Ms. Salas’s guidance, all 2nd and 3rd grade students are now taking a yearlong computer class to learn typing, PowerPoint, Excel, Word and basic programming skills. Two new librarians, Mr. Philip Williams and Ms. Monica Zetina, are working in conjunction with the homeroom teachers to supplement the curriculum with books, computers and research techniques. They have created a plan that schedules regular library time for each room. They also pay visits to the classrooms. The science program at each grade level exists through the PYP Program of Inquiry at the Hands On Center, or HOC. Each class regularly visits the HOC to work with the two PYP support teachers, Ms. Alicia Ghirlanda and Ms. Rosalinda Barrios, on explorations designed to enhance concepts the children are working on with their Spanish or English teacher. The HOC experience has benefited greatly from more direct planning with teachers and a collaborative approach to integrate it into the existing curriculum. Because of these modifications, Lower School students are receiving better training in computer skills, library use and the discovery of science. There is a level of excitement in these areas that was not there before.

Evan Hunt Head of Lower School

10 Focus

Divisions & Departments / Middle school

What’s the Idea?

“Did I Get it?”

Lower School students learn to make sense of mathematics by questioning, reasoning and discovering.

Shortly after returning to school, most students began taking an NWEA test. What’s that all about?

By Jolanta Nitoslawska, PYP K-5 Math Specialist

By Allen Jackson, Interim Academic Dean and MYP Coordinator

ack in September, more than 200 Lower School and ECC parents attended workshops to learn about the ASF mathematics curriculum. It was an encouraging turnout. Since family members are vital partners in building mathematical proficiency in young people, it is valuable for parents to become familiar with how we teach math. The Lower School math program is constructivist, recognizing that children acquire new knowledge from their experiences —that is, they learn through discovery. And it is inquiry based, encouraging students to arrive at an understanding on their own through questions and by taking responsibility for their own learning, under the teacher’s guidance. These approaches, and the curriculum itself, derive from the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme, as outlined in a detailed and comprehensive document known as PYP Mathematics: Scope and Sequence. But because of ASF’s unique setting as an International Baccalaureate school in Mexico, the requirements of the Mexican Public Education Secretariat (SEP) are also integrated into our program.

The resulting blend engages a wide range of ASF Lower School learners by encouraging them to make sense of mathematics (rather than just memorizing), by focusing on computational fluency with whole numbers, by providing substantive work in geometry, data, measurement, early algebra and other important areas and by emphasizing reasoning over rote learning. We as teachers are guided by the principle that students are capable of mathematical ideas that allow them to develop fluency and skills that are grounded in meaning. We are engaged in our own ongoing learning about math content, about pedagogy and about how students learn. In the classroom we listen to students and try to understand their thinking so we can guide them based on our observations as well as the curriculum. Parents, too, need to observe their children and allow them to express how they would like to be helped in their math studies. When it comes to enjoying math together with their children, parents can: • Look for patterns and relationships to help analyze the problem being worked on. • Really listen to their child, who knows best what’s going on in his or her mind. • Trust their child. • Ask their child to explain his or her thinking during problem solving. For more ideas on home activities in math, ASF parents can refer to their child’s teacher site or go directly to the Lower School math specialist’s site at http://bb.asf.edu.mx. Meanwhile, here’s a priceless suggestion from the renowned educator and writer Suzanne Sutton: “One of the most significant things parents can do is to help their children understand the normalcy and the value of struggle in mathematics. Learning math ultimately comes down to one thing: the ability, and choice, to put one’s brain around a problem –to stare past the confusion, and struggle forward rather than flee.”

NWEA testing provides a snapshot of Middle School students’ academic progress, untouched by human hands.

ow in its second year, The American School Foundation’s use of NWEA testing is the result of a purposeful marriage of our educational model with state-of-the-art computerized methodology for learning assessment. ASF’s International Baccalaureate affiliation —which manifests itself as the Middle Years Programme in the Middle School— emphasizes “criteria-based education,” which fundamentally means that each child is measured only against himself or herself, and not against others. The NWEA’s series of exams takes the same approach —measuring individuals against themselves. As a result of these exams, each student can understand how well he or she is learning, and each teacher can evaluate how well the strategies and tactics used in the classroom are working. NWEA stands for the Northwest Evaluation Association, a renowned Oregon-based service. Using mathematical models developed by Danish psychometrician Georg Rasch, NWEA’s series of exams yields an objective picture —untouched by human hands— for all to learn and make adjustments. They measure attainment through a series of independent cognitive assessments that are specific for each child. In fact, every student takes an individual exam. In a sense, the computer plays chess with each student simultaneously. Each time a question is answered, the computer raises or lowers the difficulty of the next question based on whether the student answered correctly or incorrectly. This constant

adjustment reveals the level of the individual student’s knowledge in each category of the exam. What’s more, each of those categories (currently consisting of mathematics, reading and language usage, though additional subjects will be included in the future) gets broken down into almost endless sub-categories. For example, the math exams may include computation, number sense, measurement, algebraic concepts and any number of other subsets. And even those subsets may be further broken down into smaller pieces. This peel-the-onion approach allows the computer to examine the students’ knowledge with pinpoint accuracy and in great detail. Middle School students (along with 9th and 10th graders and the three highest Lower School grades) took their NWEA exams in the fall, and will do it again in the spring. That schedule permits an effective measuring of each student’s progress over time. The results don’t count on the student’s grade, of course, but they do enable everyone involved to determine: • Where the student is now, academically. • What each student is missing. • The student’s real growth in knowledge. • The effectiveness of the teaching model. • The true impact of ASF’s curriculum and instruction methods. If you’re a student, these exams tell you where you are, where you should be and what you need to get there. And in the end, they help you answer that eternal question on every learner’s mind: “Did I get it?”

From the Head of School

A TIME OF TRANSITION Children experience more physical and emotional changes in their three years at Middle School than at any time in their lives. Those changes bring us opportunities to work with parents and their children to capture the curiosity of all students as we advance their problem-solving and criticalthinking skills. The ASF faculty and staff are on a mission to provide challenging, relevant instruction and assessment, to motivate each student to be an engaged and lifelong learner, to sustain a positive, safe and respectful school climate and ultimately to develop globally literate citizens. Our vision is to prepare students for success in the 21 st century by providing a nurturing learning environment that is student centered and results driven. Students enjoy an individualized and well-rounded education that combines the best practices of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Americanstyle education. Courses range from the core subjects such as science, math and Spanish to exploratory subjects such as band and art. We are dedicated to providing each adolescent child with all the necessary skills and support needed during this difficult time of emotional and academic transition. We collaborate as a faculty in professional learning communities that provide our teachers with the necessary instructional strategies to enrich each child’s academic experience. Remember, our doors are always open.

Veronika Saldaña Interim Head of Middle School

Focus 11

Divisions & Departments / lower school From the Head of School

Evan Hunt Head of Lower School

10 Focus

Divisions & Departments / Middle school

What’s the Idea?

“Did I Get it?”

Lower School students learn to make sense of mathematics by questioning, reasoning and discovering.

Shortly after returning to school, most students began taking an NWEA test. What’s that all about?

By Jolanta Nitoslawska, PYP K-5 Math Specialist

By Allen Jackson, Interim Academic Dean and MYP Coordinator

NWEA testing provides a snapshot of Middle School students’ academic progress, untouched by human hands.

From the Head of School

Veronika Saldaña Interim Head of Middle School

Focus 11

Divisions & Departments / upper school

Pics Fix Picnic’s Kicks

From the Head of School

PUSHING THE LIMITS The 2009-2010 school year is rushing by. Excited conversations about summer vacation have been transformed into study sessions. IB Science students hover around laptops in the student lounge and plan for their Group #4 Project. Eleventh-grade English students wander the blacktop, trying to get their heads around the concepts of Transcendentalism. There have been exciting developments outside the academic realm as well. One was the Outward Bound experience of Outdoor Education. The 150+ freshmen who attended the class trip for four days and three nights learned not only about surviving a lightning storm and catching trout with their bare hands, they also learned about pushing their own limits. Going three days without showering, sleeping on the ground between two classmates and washing dishes in a communal bucket of sudsy water —these are all experiences that expand the comfort zone. Back on campus, the Student Council has been battling to expand another type of limitation —the return to a 40-minute lunch period. The 20 council members have worked tirelessly to convince the administration that 30 minutes is too short of a rest for a school day made up of three block periods. As part of their strategy to regain the lost 10 minutes, student leaders created an action plan that includes new lunchtime activities, flawless recycling and zero tolerance for littering. By circulating petitions and modeling the desired behaviors, these students have tapped into the power of positive change. As we head into the second semester, I look forward to working on future projects with all Upper School students.

Amy Gallie Head of Upper School

12 Focus

Divisions & Departments / parent association

arent Association events often serve as fundraisers, but sometimes the only motive is to get together and have fun. That’s certainly the case with the annual Welcome Back Picnic, which always provides a great opportunity for new and returning ASF families —as well as faculty and staff— to spend a day getting acquainted in a relaxed environment. As these photos of this year’s picnic attest, a good time was had by all!

By Students, For Students Without the work of elected Student Council members, a lot of unity-building events would never happen. By Helen Kang, Student Activities Specialist

he Student Council is essentially run by students for students. While the student activities specialist oversees student government meetings and activities, the very structure of student government forces the students who serve to answer to all Upper School students, as well as to hold each other accountable. There are 20 students on the Student Council. Four members from each of the four grade levels form the class councils. An additional four students make up the Coordinating Council, which oversees the class councils. This structure ensures accountability and defines levels of responsibility, without which many popular Upper School events —such as El Grito, La Posada and Spirit Week— would be difficult to organize. As Vice President of the Freshman Class Council Lorea Peterson says, “We put student ideas into action.” Student government also places great emphasis on the more intangible responsibilities that come from representing the student body. The Student Council’s top priority is to give students a voice. Coordinating Council Treasurer Christine Castilla describes student government as “the middle body between the students and the administration.” Therefore, the Student Council is always looking for better avenues of communication to bring students, faculty and administration together. But communication is important horizontally as well, so the council is constantly seeking new ways to build a sense of community both within each class and throughout the school. “The Student Council is here to build a better community,” says Junior Class Secretary Diego Song.

From the President

Busy Beginnings The Parent Association has been extremely busy so far this semester. At the beginning of the school year we hosted our annual Welcome Back Picnic, a great opportunity for new and returning ASF families —as well as faculty and staff— to spend a day getting acquainted in a very relaxed environment. During the first few weeks of the school year we provided hospitality for the Back-to-School Nights, as well as lunch for all the teachers. Once October came around we held an incredibly successful English Book Fair, and returned to the tradition of hosting an Art Fair preview event. We were honored that the Carrington Weisz family chose to unveil the piece “Ancestor” at the preview cocktail a month before the 40th edition of the Art Fair. Throughout the year we continued our much acclaimed guided cultural visits to different places in our city. There will be more such visits after the new year, scheduled for February and May. PA General Meetings take place on the first Wednesday of each month. You are encouraged to attend our meetings and participate. In fact, please be sure to get involved in our activities. And feel free just to stop by our office for a cup of coffee at any time. Remember, I speak on behalf of the PA, but the Association itself is made up of all ASF parents. I’d like to wish all of you a very happy and healthy holiday season.

Aliki Elias Parent Association President

Focus 13

Divisions & Departments / upper school

Pics Fix Picnic’s Kicks

From the Head of School

Amy Gallie Head of Upper School

12 Focus

Divisions & Departments / parent association

By Students, For Students Without the work of elected Student Council members, a lot of unity-building events would never happen. By Helen Kang, Student Activities Specialist

From the President

Aliki Elias Parent Association President

Focus 13

Divisions & Departments / Athletics & extendED learning

A Better Way

he merger of the Athletics and After School Offices will allow ASF to integrate better our programs for the benefit of all athletes. Through the eyes of three coaches, we can see how planning our sports program from kinder to varsity will benefit our athletes at all ages.

Last Year: Lower School and Middle School practiced separately in three lanes each. This Year: The groups are organized along 10 ability levels, not by age. The Difference: “The main difference between last year’s and this year’s swimming program is that this year we are meeting the American Red Cross standards to get swimmers motivated to learn and improve specific skills every day until they reach a competitive level,” says swimming coach Tere Rivera. “The kids feel successful because they are achieving their goals at their level.”

Volleyball is a sport with a special spirit.

Volleyball

Last Year: Volleyball was offered from 6th grade to 12th grade only. This Year: Kids in the 4th and 5th grades are integrated with Middle Schoolers, with varsity players helping with practice. The Difference: “When we’ve played against other schools, their kids have more ability than ours because they started younger,” says coach Martha Domínguez. “The 4th and 5th graders look up to the older girls and now they feel they are part of a team with them. We can immediately develop their talent. A few years down the road we may see some of these girls on the varsity team as early as 9th grade. Our varsity players work with our young players because they want to help, and they can begin educating them how to win, lose and learn from their mistakes.”

Swimming

By Kimberly Neidermire, ASF Senior

Thanks, Skipper Three ASF StudentAthletes Grade Their Coaches. Sarah Goslin

Football

Last Year: There were separate coaching staffs for Varsity/JV in Upper School and Flag Football for Lower School. This Year: There is a unified coaching staff for football at all ages. The Difference: “If you have worked with the oldest players, you can show the youngest ones the same fundamentals that they will need to know in the future,” says coach Aaron Delgado. “So flag football players are learning the basics that will help them in varsity. They’re growing up with the skills. Now the LS kids are coming out to see our varsity games, and that makes me feel like I’m doing a good job.”

11th grade soccer player, coached by Jim Henninger “Having Jim coach us has helped our team become closer over the years. He is the reason the same girls return each season. Jim knows each one of us personally and he helps us achieve our personal goals as well as our team goals. Thanks to him the girls have grown as a family and that has enabled us to maintain our winning attitude.”

Sebastian Mancera

From the Head of Athletics & Extended Learning

Together As ASF continues to evolve to meet the needs of our students, Extended Learning and the Athletics department have merged. That means that sports and other after-school programs will be directed from the same office. While students and parents may not immediately notice the difference on the field, court, pool or track, the merger offers a first in ASF’s 121-year history: the opportunity to carefully plan the 15-year athletic career of a student from age 4 to 19, aligning all programs to be age appropriate and unified in values. I’m very pleased to introduce Noah Randall, our new Athletic Coordinator, who will lead this effort. His organization, dedication and success with the swim team for the past four years are a testimony to what he can offer the entire sports program at ASF. The accompanying article on this page aims to shed light on what this change means for athletes. We look forward to our continued success as we inspire Bear pride at all ages.

Kenneth Andersen Head of Athletics & Extended Learning

14 Focus

Net Gains

More integration means a better program for everybody.

12th grade basketball player, coached by Alejandro Donado “Having Alex as a coach who returns each season has allowed the team to grow and develop in a way that we understand each other, as well as the strategies to take each year one step further. This in turn has allowed us to put aside our differences and work together to succeed and progress.”

Bernardo Balcazar 8th grade tennis player, coached by Christiano Castro “Having Coach Castro year after year has helped me improve my game a lot. I already know his teaching styles and know what he expects from me each practice and each tournament. He has been a great help to me with his constant support. I am thankful the school has a coach that is always willing to help.”

xcitement about the 2009-2010 Lady Bears volleyball season started building even before the last school year ended. When team tryouts began in late August, girls showed up with smiles stretching from ear to ear, and the passion was undeniable. There was a diverse mix of hopefuls, consisting of returning players, incoming freshmen and other new students. The tryouts were tough, calling for the demonstration of skills and physical conditioning. The posting of the varsity and junior varsity rosters on head coach Martha Domínguez’s door marked the start of the new season. With the annual ASOMEX league event scheduled for November, there wasn’t much time to prepare for the season’s first major tournament. Fresh on all minds was the varsity team’s second-place finish in 2008 in front of a large crowd. The ASF volleyball team prides itself on unity. During lunch on game days you will always see us together, bonding as a team. We run concessions frequently at ASF’s football games to earn funds for traveling and equipment. Between our junior varsity and varsity teams we have a collective love for the sport we play. We work hard to be role models and school spirited. At the end of each day, the only thing that we ask is for more time to play the sport we love.”

From the Coordinator

WHY WE COACH “A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.” — Ara Paraseghian, former head football coach, University of Notre Dame Why does a coach coach? It’s a difficult question, but there is a recurring theme in the answers given by good coaches: It’s all about the kids. As one of the amazing coaches currently on staff at ASF put it, coaching is an opportunity to empower young people, both as athletes and as human beings. As a coach myself, I hold the firm belief that my profession has an often unseen power to influence young lives. I see it in the smiles of athletes after doing something they never thought they were capable of. Many people are unaware of the tremendous physical, mental and emotional commitment that coaching requires. ASF coaches make sacrifices as a labor of love, putting the athletes, their parents and the school programs ahead of their own interests. Retaining these role models becomes more and more important to ASF with each year they are with the program. ASF coaches don’t return each year just for their salaries, or to win a championship or for personal prestige. They return for the bond between coach and student-athlete, a bond that strengthens with time. We see our athletes grow. We see them achieve goals. We share their excitement and we share their disappointments. And we want to see them become the young adults we always know they can become.

Noah Randall Athletics Coordinator

Focus 15

Divisions & Departments / Athletics & extendED learning

A Better Way

Volleyball is a sport with a special spirit.

Volleyball

Swimming

By Kimberly Neidermire, ASF Senior

Thanks, Skipper Three ASF StudentAthletes Grade Their Coaches. Sarah Goslin

Football

Sebastian Mancera

From the Head of Athletics & Extended Learning

Kenneth Andersen Head of Athletics & Extended Learning

14 Focus

Net Gains

More integration means a better program for everybody.

From the Coordinator

Noah Randall Athletics Coordinator

Focus 15

Divisions & Departments / the arts

[focus on education]

Enter Learning

Tools of the Trade

Drama Club members take the stage twice a year.

ASF graduates are especially equipped to excel at university-level art education. There are reasons for that.

By Rosanna Cesarman, Drama Teacher

By Manisha Sharma

From the Coordinator

Those Who Do... Teach Art instruction at ASF is based on the belief that the arts should be taught by practitioners. In other words, students are best inspired to make art by teachers who actually do it themselves. The artist/teacher integrates into the classroom his or her own commitment to making art, so students can relate it to their own experience. This belief was reflected in October in the first show of faculty art held at the school’s gallery, where works by ASF art teachers were on display. Another firm ASF belief — that student work should live outside the classroom— was put into practice at the 40 th annual Art Fair in November. The fair featured work by the surrealist master Leonora Carrington and her offspring, but there were also more than 400 pieces shown by ASF students from ECC through 12 th grade. We believe the arts are crucial in education because they are important for human development. Why are they important? The renowned educator and music conductor Leon Botstein may have said it best: “The arts give children the capacity to express what language does not entirely express.”

Leo Trias Visual Arts Coordinator

16 Focus

Productions such as last year’s “West Side Story” feature ASF Drama Club members.

SF’s drama program begins in Middle School, where sixth and seventh graders are exposed to music, vocal production and drama as exploratory subjects. As the name implies, this program allows students to explore these disciplines, and discover their abilities in them. Later, in Upper School, student can choose to go deeper into one of these subjects. Those who wish to participate in theater performances find the perfect opportunity in the Drama Club, an extracurricular activity that provides an unforgettable experience. “Being a part of Drama Club has been one of the greatest opportunities ASF has given me,” says Isabel Oliveres, a longtime member of the club who serves as its president. “It has allowed me to develop not only my acting, singing and dancing skills, but also my ability to be a leader.” The club has performed plays such as “What the Butler Saw,” “Chicago” and “The Threepenny Opera” over the last few years. But there’s more to it than acting. The productions imply

hours of painting, building, designing and other tasks. “Putting on a play is a long and complicated process that involves commitment from everyone involved,” Isabel says. “The Drama Club has made me realize the importance of the process, instead of just focusing on the final result.” Teamwork and problem-solving are part of that process. “You learn to organize yourself and others, as well as work through disagreements and come to a consensus,” Isabel says. “You create such an amazing bond with your peers and you get to see the hidden talents of people you never imagined could do fantastic imitations or hilarious improvisation skits.” For this school year, the club decided to work on two productions, a comedy and a musical. That suits Isabel, who has played everything from a cabaret dancer in “Chicago” to a New York tough in “West Side Story,” just fine. “I’m really excited that we’re putting on two plays again,” she says. “I’m making the most of my final year in drama at ASF.”

SF students are increasingly accepted, often with impressive scholarships, to some of the world’s best art institutes. Just in the last few years, ASF graduates started pursuing their art studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Tisch School of Art at New York University, the Parsons New School of Design at the New School in New York, Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, the Savannah College of Art and Design, the University of Barcelona and St. Martins in London, among others. The high rate of admission is of course a source of pride for ASF, and speaks volumes about the quality of the school’s arts program and of its students. “The confidence our students gain from going through rigorous courses and attaining the artistic growth demanded by these institutions means getting into an art college is not a major problem for them,” says Upper School art teacher Consuelo Novoa. Still, there’s nothing automatic about building a track record that catches the attention of prestigious art schools. All art colleges look for a meaty portfolio, but some place more importance on broad exposure (from pencil sketches to computer art) while others want to see a developing eye for the one medium the student wants to study. A big advantage for ASF students, according to feedback from the recruiting colleges, is the balance they develop between critical thinking skills, technical know-how in a variety of media and deep knowledge in one area. So what exactly does ASF offer these students that creates this balance and enables them to slide into the world’s best arts programs? All involved agree that the key is a blend of practical skills and character development. “We provide exposure to the materials, the techniques,

the ideas and the useful vocabulary,” says Upper School art teacher Patricia Patterson. “But we also emphasize self-confidence, self-expression and cultural sensitivity.” ASF art students are also encouraged to think grandly. “One of the most important skills we impart to students is setting high standards for themselves,” Ms. Novoa says. That emphasis isn’t lost on the young people. “Perfectionism isn’t a flaw in the arts,” says one student. “It’s encouraged.” The point is that while perfection is unattainable, you are always looking for ways to reach it. Another factor in the formula for success is incorporating contemporary media into the curriculum. “Part of our job is to keep art classes relevant,” says Upper School art teacher Jason Schell. “The concepts don’t really change even with new media.” The payoff is seen in the complex disciplines ASF graduates go on to study, such as game design and variations on the communication arts that integrate art with science, social studies and business. Then there’s the opportunity for exposure at ASF, where it’s often said that the entire campus is a gallery. The annual Art Fair and frequent dedicated exhibitions give art students tools for critiquing and avenues to self-confidence. At the heart of the arts program, of course, are the ideals of the International Baccalaureate program. ASF’s IB-based objectives such as loving learning, living purposefully and becoming a responsible citizen of the world apply themselves well in ASF art rooms. “As a result,” Ms. Novoa says, “our students have independence, drive, confidence, passion, dedication, seriousness, openness and the ability to communicate with others.” Passion may be the key trait in that list when it comes to achieving success in the arts beyond the 12th grade. “If you want to become an artist, you have to approach it with all your heart, and even more,” Ms. Novoa says. “That means always trying to improve, and always keeping in mind that your best work of art is the one you are about to begin.” Manisha Sharma is a former visual arts coordinator at ASF.

Focus 17

Divisions & Departments / the arts

[focus on education]

Enter Learning

Tools of the Trade

Drama Club members take the stage twice a year.

ASF graduates are especially equipped to excel at university-level art education. There are reasons for that.

By Rosanna Cesarman, Drama Teacher

By Manisha Sharma

From the Coordinator

Leo Trias Visual Arts Coordinator

16 Focus

Productions such as last year’s “West Side Story” feature ASF Drama Club members.

Focus 17

[focus on education]

uccess tories

Maru Gutiérrez has been working in special education at ASF for more than 20 years. Below: Upper School resource teacher Martha Domínguez (‘83).

ASF’s Services for Academic Success makes sure good students aren’t held back by learning disorders. By Guy Cheney, English Department Head

sk someone offhand what he or she knows about academics at The American School Foundation, and the answer will invariably include information about the IB program or the wide selection of AP courses and the rigorous, college-preparatory focus of the institution. What you might not hear about is one of the essential support programs that make success in such a rigorous academic environment possible for students diagnosed with a learning disability. This program is Services for Academic Success. In charge of the program for the past 23 years, Maru Gutiérrez has made Services for Academic Success, or SAS, what it is today. Talking to her, you quickly realize that for her it is far more than a job. It’s her passion, her mission. And the fruits of her efforts —as well as the efforts of a bilingual speech therapist, a secretary and the six teachers from the ECC, Lower, Middle and Upper Schools involved in SAS— are seen in the success stories of every student that has been supported by the program.

Early Responders

Challenging Beginnings

SAS officially started in 1983. Maru Gutiérrez arrived on the scene in 1986. Her task was daunting. The program was in shambles, and literally relegated to the neglected corners of the school. The very existence of the program was threatened. The director at the time gave Maru an ultimatum: “Convince me that this program should survive.” He also required that SAS be self-sufficient financially. “It was a circus,” Maru recalls. “I was given three months to restructure or it would close.” Twenty-three years later, the evidence of her success are the photos that cover half of the wall in the back of her office. And those photos are of just the students from last year. These photos are the visual proof of the phrase the popular Upper School resource teacher Martha Domínguez (’83), used to describe her experience with many SAS students over the past eight years: “So many success stories, so many success stories.” It’s worth pointing out that during Martha’s tenure as a resource teacher with the program, only one student did not go on to university. Indeed, both Martha and Maru, as they explained their parts in the history of this program —in separate interviews— fought back tears as they described personal stories of students the program has helped to succeed over the years. One testament to the success of the program is the number of students who return to visit their mentors and teachers from the SAS program.

What SAS Does

What does Services for Academic Success do? It helps students of high cognitive ability who, because of a diagnosed learning disability in one or two areas, need a teacher trained to adopt another approach to instruction. This can mean requesting extra time for a standardized or school test, listening to a book to supplement one’s reading or approaching mathematical problems through a different lens that might not be provided in a regular classroom. 18 Focus

Teachers like Sharon Wojciechowski give SAS students individualized attention.

The goal is not a “cure” but academic success. “Students with a learning disability never lose that disability,” Maru says. “But they are taught to develop methods to compensate.” What SAS does not do is provide services to students who struggle academically because they are unmotivated, or who lack the cognitive ability to realistically expect success at The American School. SAS serves the needs of students who have the ability to succeed in ASF’s rigorous, college-preparatory environment, but are held back by a demonstrated learning disability, such as dyslexia or attention deficit disorder. In other words, SAS students are every bit as capable, cognitively, as other ASF students. In fact, Ms. Gutiérrez says, “SAS can no longer accept some students now who would have been accepted by the school in the 1980s because of the changed focus of the school towards preparing students for college success.” An ongoing misconception abut SAS is that students join simply because they or their parents want extra help. That is neither true nor possible, since extensive testing and a psychological evaluation are required for entrance to the program.

More Than a File

This point was brought home recently when Maru pulled out a file on a student who has been in the program for the past 10 years. Thicker than a volume of the Mexico City phonebook, the file was filled with tests and reports detailing the history of this particular student’s learning disability and progress through the years.

But don’t let the paperwork deceive. While continuous testing and evaluation are an SAS reality, students are never just files in the SAS program. SAS maintains a 4-1 student-to-teacher ratio to ensure success. As she looked over that phonebook-thick file, Maru beamed as she discussed the prospect of the student graduating in a few years. The student has been with the program since first grade. When he graduates, his success will underscore the effort of countless teachers who have worked hard to help him get there.

A Steppingstone

Yvonne Kneeland graduated from ASF in 2001, and later from the respected culinary institute Johnson and Wales. Now working for Eduardo Kohlmann Catering, she recalls her experience with the SAS program in blunt terms: “The program is what kept me in school.” But Yvonne’s experience with the program goes beyond graduation, beyond academics. She still stops in to talk to Maru about life decisions. “I can ask Maru about anything,” Yvonne says. “Along with my parents, she is what grounds me. She is my rock and my steppingstone.” It’s hard to imagine higher praise for an educator than that kind of remark. And Yvonne is not alone. Maru Gutiérrez knows where all of her graduates are and what they are doing today, according to Yvonne. It takes caring, committed and properly trained individuals to make an educational institution such as The American School successful. Behind each student who accepts a diploma from The American School Foundation stand

The importance of early intervention for kindergarten children has been known for years. Research since the early 1970s indicates that screening for phonemic awareness and letter knowledge at an early age can identify deficits. With the implementation of appropriate instruction, affected students will be more successful in reading and writing. Using the example of early Head Start Programs in the United States, Erin Trautman, a reading specialist and ASF parent, explored a program last year under the supervision of Maru Gutiérrez, head of Services for Academic Success (SAS). With a focus on pre-first students who were the most at-risk for later reading problems, the new program implemented the use of the DIBELS testing battery, the Jolly Phonics program and Compass Learning software. It was such a success that the ECC has been accepted for inclusion in SAS as Early Intervention for very young students identified with deficits in reading skills, phonemic awareness and rapid naming. This new program is the second tier of a three-tiered Response To Intervention (RTI) approach. Students who are not progressing adequately despite receiving high-quality reading instruction in the regular classroom receive two 30-minute periods a week of small-group reading instruction. The first tier (a high-quality reading program) and third tier (treating problems aggressively to constrain their negative consequences) have long been in practice at ASF. “My goal with this new early intervention program is to give these ECC students a boost,” Ms. Trautman says, “so they may be as proficient as possible when they enter the Lower School.” the efforts and long hours put in by parents, teachers, counselors and administrators. Some of these students faced an extra challenge, a challenge they met, in part, because of the extraordinary efforts of people like Maru Gutiérrez and Martha Domínguez, who along with others have made Services for Academic Success responsible for so many success stories. Focus 19

[focus on education]

uccess tories

Maru Gutiérrez has been working in special education at ASF for more than 20 years. Below: Upper School resource teacher Martha Domínguez (‘83).

ASF’s Services for Academic Success makes sure good students aren’t held back by learning disorders. By Guy Cheney, English Department Head

Early Responders

Challenging Beginnings

What SAS Does

Teachers like Sharon Wojciechowski give SAS students individualized attention.

More Than a File

A Steppingstone

[focus on education]

Susan, Dennis Jr., Katie and Dennis Fasciani.

Valentino, Miriam and Miranda Matrajt.

The New Kid in Town Your first days at ASF can be a daunting experience. But you’ve got plenty of help. And it’s always worth it. By José Segebre, Communications Assistant

n a Tuesday morning last August, a few days before the 200910 school year would begin, the Upper School Gym was teeming with students, parents, teachers and administrators. As with any ASF gathering, diversity reigned. Still, almost all the students in attendance that day had one thing in common: They were experiencing the excitement, the anxiety and, yes, the intimidation of preparing for their first day at a brand new school. Adapting to the new is almost always hard —whether it’s a country, a climate, a job or a school. Because of ASF’s 120-year-old focus on serving the international community, many families starting out at ASF find themselves adapting to all four at once. “The cultural change of coming from another country is the challenge,” says Claudio Matrajt, who recently moved from Brazil to Mexico and enrolled his four children at ASF. “But that is part of the choice we made as a family, to stress our adaptability skills.” Stressing one’s ability to adapt can be a rewarding experience. Dennis Fasciani Jr., an eleventh grader from the United States, is happy about his move to Mexico City with his sister Katie. “I like it here a lot more than Maryland,” Dennis says. “The food is great, lots of stuff to see. The language is still difficult but I’m adjusting.” Their father, Dennis Fasciani, who works at the U.S. Embassy and had visited Mexico City many times before the move, considers the whole experience valuable for his children. “They have adapted well but still need time to adjust to a new country, city and culture,” he says. “But when the tour is over, this will be an extremely enjoyable and useful experience for them, not only now but for years to come.” Entering ASF often requires more than just cultural and physical 20 Focus

adaptation. When you factor in ASF’s distinct and demanding educational approach, making the adjustment can be even more challenging. The same uniqueness of environment that makes adapting to ASF more difficult also makes it more attractive. The American School’s ready acceptance of diversity and its reputation for academic excellence are two major reasons it consistently has more than its fair share of new students. Over the decades, the school has developed a support system to help those students adapt to their new environment. In other words, no matter what your grade level, if you’re an incoming ASF student, you’re not going to be left alone to navigate your way through this strange new world. You have help. Even before the student is enrolled or admitted, ASF does its best to welcome the prospective student. The Fascianis were given a tour around campus by Patsy Hubp, an admission counselor at ASF. Mr. Fasciani felt that ASF facilitated his children’s transition into school since the very beginning when Patsy took them around school and answered all their questions. “This was probably the most important step for us to become accustomed, relaxed and adjusted to the school and its surroundings,” says Mr. Fasciani. “It made us feel like we were part of the ASF family.” The support continues with Orientation Day, when new students and their parents are greeted. “There’s a new student/parent orientation a week before school starts,” says Julie Hellmund, who heads the Office of Admission and Financial Aid. “It’s to welcome new students and parents to our campus [and] to introduce them to school leadership.” That’s why the Upper School Gym was bustling on that August morning. Incoming families listened to welcoming remarks from ASF Executive Director Paul Williams and other school leaders. They got a taste of

Special events are great ways for new students to make friends.

the school’s mission, its educational philosophy, its rules and its seemingly countless extracurricular activities. Then the families divided by school —Lower, Middle and Upper— and changed venue to where their child would actually be attending. Here they met the school heads, the deans, the counselors and many of the other staff members who make an ASF education possible. There were talks, question-and-answer sessions, tours and, finally, an informal taquiza-style munch-and-mingle meal. Orientation Day was a great opportunity for new students to eliminate some first-day-of-school jitters, to learn how they can get involved on campus and to meet other students new to the school. “I made a lot of friends at Orientation Day and we still hang out,” says Dennis. Mauricio Guerrero is a new sixth grader who transferred from a school in Toluca. He participated in a Middle School scavenger hunt where the clues formed the ASF logo, and found the day’s main benefit to be eminently practical. “It was really helpful to see where all the buildings are before starting classes,” he says. As useful as Orientation Day is, the challenges of being a new student can’t be overcome in a single day. This has prompted ASF to hold events and implement programs for smoothing integration into the school. Multiple segments of the ASF community work to ease the transition. One of those segments is the Upper School student government. Bearing in mind how intimidated new students can feel, the student council organizes two yearly retreats where new and old students participate and mingle. Dennis fondly remembers going to the Veracruz camp over the weekend and meeting some of his current friends. Michelle Hojnicki, president of Upper School’s Coordinating Council (CC), was a new student herself not so long ago. She enrolled at ASF in the middle of her sophomore year and soon integrated to the point where she ran for president and won. Michelle recommends participating in a sport as a way to find friends. “I was able to fit in through basketball,” she says. The benefits of joining a sport are echoed by other new students. Ninth grader Katie Fasciani joined swimming when she came to ASF and agrees that sports are a great wait to meet new people. “I know that if I ever need anything I would go to them,” she says, “I truly trust them.” The other CC members —such as Vice-President Daniela Serra, Secretary Nan Gao and Treasurer Christine Castilla— work with Michelle to

Ana Lucía, Lucía and Mauricio Guerrero.

make the environment as welcoming as possible. They help students find a niche at ASF not just through hosting events but also by simply offering familiar faces around campus, which can be the most comforting thing of all when life is agitated by change. A myriad of programs and events help new students adapt. Helen Kang, student activities coordinator for the Upper School, mentions the various excursions into the surrounding metropolitan area, more ambitious adventures such as camping trips and fun events such as lucha libre. Like the retreats or sports participation recommended by CC President Michelle Hojnicki, these activities get returning and new students together. An implicit advantage to joining ASF is its people. Although not as official as an Orientation Day or a retreat, the individuals who make up this wonderful community are the best tools to get used to the new environment. As Dennis explains, “I met a bunch of kids in my classes. People are so friendly here, they make the move easy.” Katie also found it easy to adjust to ASF. “Even though I miss my friends, I love it here,” she says, “Everyone makes it so nice and welcoming.” Both Katie and Dennis echo what other new kids had to say: they simply love their new school. Eighth grader Ana Lucía Guerrero, Mauricio’s sister, says she has felt very well received at ASF, and gives credit in part to the activities and organizations available. More important, ASF’s extensive visual arts program has allowed her to pursue her passion for art. By participating in school activities and focusing on her art studies, Ana Lucía has been able to meet people with interests similar to her own. “If you want them to, they’ll accept you,” she says. Perhaps the most important figures on campus when it comes to helping new students find their way are the deans and counselors in each school. Making sure that new students are progressing is a major part of their job description, and they are trained to do it well. The office of a new student’s dean or counselor is one place where he or she can go at any time and simply say, “I feel confused.” The Fascianis, Guerreros and Matrajts are just three new ASF families, but their experiences are representative of hundreds of others. The parents mentioned that the children have assimilated quickly, and they are pleased at how comfortably their kids have flourished in their new environment. And they still remember that just a few months ago, they knew nobody at ASF. Focus 21

[focus on education]

Susan, Dennis Jr., Katie and Dennis Fasciani.

Valentino, Miriam and Miranda Matrajt.

The New Kid in Town Your first days at ASF can be a daunting experience. But you’ve got plenty of help. And it’s always worth it. By José Segebre, Communications Assistant

Special events are great ways for new students to make friends.

Ana Lucía, Lucía and Mauricio Guerrero.

[focus on education] Where the Money Comes From

The financial aid program administered by ASF is unique among K-12 schools in Mexico. It consists of a discount on monthly tuitions only, and generally does not apply to admission and registration fees. It is available to incoming as well as returning students and is need based. Aid is rewarded solely on the basis of financial need and not on any special academic aptitude or athletic ability. The money comes from three sources: the Endowment Fund for Financial Aid, ASF’s operating budget and independent scholarships from private or corporate donations. The Board of Trustees created the Endowment Fund so that a portion of financial aid could be financed by the interest the fund earns. The Endowment is fed by contributions from private companies and individuals, ASF parents and alumni, as well as fundraising drives and events carried out by any number of ASF-related organizations, such as the Parent Association (see page 24) and the Office of Institutional Advancement (see pages 32 and 33). The Board’s Endowment Fund Committee is responsible for investing the capital to grow the fund, as well as for overseeing the distribution of the interest.

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Data gathering about the financial situation of each applicant is carried out via a home economic study by a private contractor working independently. The company, Riskana, has successfully worked with ASF for the past four years. The Financial Aid Committee uses the results of this study, along with the application and supporting documents, to evaluate applicants’ eligibility. Committee members consider income, liabilities, assets, family size and the number of students in the family attending tuition-charging schools. After an allowance for basic necessities and required taxes, a percentage of the remaining family funds are considered available for education. There are other considerations. Applicants must meet the academic requirements for enrolling at ASF. In almost all cases those requirements are no more and no less than those for any other potential student. It is important to note that applying for financial aid has no bearing upon the admission process, and vice versa. The Admission Committee and Financial Aid Committee work separately and independently. The success of the program is reflected in the success of the recipients. Financial aid recipients are often among ASF’s most outstanding students. In recent years they have included valedictorians, salutatorians and student body presidents. Many have received academic scholarships from some of the finest U.S. and Mexican universities.

]

Financial assistance serves to carry out ASF’s expressed mission, which is to offer “students from diverse backgrounds the best of American independent education.”

A Helping

Hand

ASF administers a financial aid program to offset the cost of tuition. Here’s how it works.

22 Focus

ne of The American School Foundation’s most important goals is to provide economic help to the families of qualified students who otherwise could not afford to attend the school. Over the past quarter century, this program has expanded to the point where, in any given year, some 15 percent of ASF students receive aid to offset the cost of tuition. In purely human terms, that means thousands of young people who might have been left behind have been given the opportunity they deserve to reach their potential. From the school’s point of view, the commitment to financial assistance serves to carry out ASF’s expressed mission, which is to offer “students from diverse backgrounds the best of American independent education.” Practically speaking, awarding financial aid to families in need furthers the goal of diversity in the school community. It also strengthens the overall academic quality of the student body by attracting a wider pool of bright, highly motivated young people. The school’s financial aid program grew out of Mexico’s devastating economic crisis of the 1980s, when ASF lost approximately 1,000 students because many families suddenly found the cost of tuition prohibitive. The Board of Trustees moved to establish the Endowment Fund for Financial Aid and vowed, “Never again.” School leaders have always appreciated the fact that many families make considerable sacrifices in order to send their children to ASF, whether they are eligible for financial aid or not. The new hope was that no family should ever have to leave the school for financial reasons.

Each year the Board allocates a percentage of the operating budget to support financial aid. Part of that budget also includes a small number of independently donated scholarships, which are usually awarded to Upper School students. This particular form of aid is an exception to the needsonly rule, since the donors stipulate that academic merit be factored in, along with financial necessity. Another partial exception to the needs-only policy on the ASF financial aid menu is the type of special scholarships that originate with Mexico’s Public Education Secretariat (SEP) and are awarded to students from kindergarten through the sixth grade. Like the independent scholarships, the SEP scholarships are need and merit based. They cover a portion of the registration fees as well as a percentage of the monthly tuition cost. SEP scholarship recipients must maintain an 8.5 grade average. What stands out about the financial aid funding sources is this: From private donations through fundraising efforts to budget funds, the donorrecipient relationship is always fundamentally a case of people helping people get an education. That’s living proof that the notion of an “ASF community” is not empty talk.

How To Apply

Families interested in applying for financial aid for the 2010-2011 school year must pay an application fee of $565 pesos at the Cashier’s Office between Monday, January 18, and Friday, March 5, 2010. The fee covers the cost of the Riskana financial study. After paying the fee, take the receipt to the Admission and Financial Aid Office to pick up an application. Incoming families who need financial aid to attend ASF are invited to visit the Admission and Financial Aid Office to discuss their individual circumstances. For further information, please contact Julie Hellmund, Director of Admission and Financial Aid, The American School Foundation, Bondojito 215, Col. Las Americas, México, D.F. 01120, Tel. 5227-49 54 or e-mail: hellmundj@asf.edu.mx.

How Decisions are Made

Since the ASF-administered financial aid is almost entirely need based, the process of determining true financial need and then selecting the successful applicants is paramount, demanding accurate information and equitable decision-making. The system utilized by the Financial Aid Office has been carefully honed to meet those requirements. The program is overseen by a Financial Aid Committee, made up of volunteers representing a broad cross-section of the ASF community, including trustees, alumni, parents, teachers and administrators. For total fairness, the committee members remain anonymous and all records are strictly confidential, including the applications and awards.

Focus 23

[focus on education] Where the Money Comes From

[

]

Financial assistance serves to carry out ASF’s expressed mission, which is to offer “students from diverse backgrounds the best of American independent education.”

A Helping

Hand

ASF administers a financial aid program to offset the cost of tuition. Here’s how it works.

22 Focus

How To Apply

How Decisions are Made

Focus 23

[campus currents]

A Fair to Remember A dazzling 40th edition confirmed the ASF Art Fair’s status as a premier cultural event. And the students stole the show. The Parent Association’s famous annual event, the Art Fair, celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. The PA’s main fundraiser is also the biggest campus event of the year, attracting thousands of art fans, both from ASF and Mexico City’s international community. By Paloma Porraz Fraser, ASF Parent

o talk of The American School’s 40th Annual Art Fair, which took place in crisp, mostly sunny autumn weather on Saturday, November 7, is to talk of many things — the scores of professional artists exhibiting on the school grounds, the ASF art teachers whose work was prominently displayed, the invited artist Leonora Carrington, the featured student artist Matías Armendaris (’09), the workshops that offered the thousands of fair visitors a chance to make art as well as view it, the countless volunteers who made everything work, the food booths manned by members of ASF clubs and organizations, the allaround fun and festive atmosphere and much more. But what impressed me most as an art curator was the deep understanding and appreciation of art reflected in the work of ASF’s student artists. Interestingly, while the professional artists at the fair tended to be more traditional, the student art that filled the cavernous Upper School gymnasium and some choice open-air spots showed fresh ideas and a taste for experimentation. From the diversity of media used and genres explored, it was clear that these students are seriously exploring art’s great questions. From a very young age, they are engaged in the kind of observation that is so key to contemporary art. This could be seen in the Lower School displays, such as the marvelous umbrella installation that dominated the entrance to the gym. For Upper School students, the discovery process clearly has a lot to do with the personal development and self-identity issues that define their age in life. They are observing themselves. That’s why body art, nude depictions, costuming and make-up are worthy pursuits in an event like this. Viewing the art and activities on display at the fair, it’s obvious that this is a group of young people who are not held back by a repressive atmosphere. ASF’s approach to art education, and the teachers who carry it out, nourish learning through direct contact with art exhibits and with artists themselves. This is what promotes students’ appreciation for art in general, and their ability to “read” a specific piece. This emphasis on exposure has a strong educational purpose, but it is carried out in an atmosphere of pleasure and generosity. In fact, “generous” is probably the word that best describes this year’s ASF Art Fair —generous in its sheer scope as well as generous in its attitude. My congratulations to everybody who was involved with this amazing event. Paloma Porraz Fraser, an ASF parent, is executive coordinator at the Museo del Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City. 24 Focus

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The famed surrealist Leonora Carrington set the Art Fair’s tone with a memorable exhibit featuring her sons and grandchildren.

By Kelly Arthur Garrett, ASF Parent

hen Leonora Carrington, Mexico’s most loved living artist, cut a ribbon outside the ASF Art Gallery at 36 minutes after noon on the day of the 40th Annual ASF Art Fair, she opened up for fair visitors an unforgettable visual world where (as her son and co-exhibitor Gabriel Weisz puts it) “matter becomes something else.” Born in 1917 in Lancashire, England, but a Mexican (and sometimes U.S.) resident for well over half a century, Carrington was the invited artist at the fair, for which she and her sons and grandchildren prepared an exhibition called “The Haunted Eye.” She has described some of her more recent subject matter as “a being existing in space,” and that was certainly the prevailing notion inside the gallery, in more than one sense. Three watercolors, for example, depict in muted colors upright malefemale pairs in semi-regal unisex attire. Only after our gaze reaches the feet, pointing down and touching nothing, do we realize that these odd folks exist in no physical context. The “being existing” in the Carrington-Weisz show was as likely to be an animal as a human. When an interviewer asked her about this predilection recently, she replied, sensibly, “I don’t know why we think we’re not animals. I don’t feel I’m any different than a cat.” Her animals, however, are not like those we’re used to. At the top of the steps leading to the gallery (on the “bridge” between the Upper and Lower Schools), visitors encountered a small bronze sculpture of an

eerie horse, set on a pole in the carrousel style. The front hooves sported decidedly unhorselike toes, elongated and sharp, while the back hooves resembled shark fins. The short tail curled back on itself, scorpion-like, but large enough to make us think of a second head, observing the one in the front. The sense of misdirection was heightened during the afternoon when some knowing soul turned the sculpture around. Pablo Weisz Carrington, who along with Gabriel Weisz Carrington and Pablo, Agatha and Daniel Weisz (’09), shared the bill with Leonora, inherited the animal fixation. His hyena-like felines in the watercolor “Cats Singing at the Moon” are vaguely reminiscent of a Tamayo howling dog in their elongated moonward reach, but they look like they’re more likely to devour the white disk than woo it with song. Carrington’s sculpture “Ancestor,” the signature piece of “The Haunted Eye” that made its debut at the ASF Art Fair, also features strange animals —four partially canine and wholly diabolical beasts positioned at the four corners of a horizontal base. But it’s the deathly central figure— ruby-pupiled like the dogs, otherwise colorless and less than a foot tall —that haunts the eye. His full-length gown seems to be an extension of his Dumbledorf beard. The disconnect between the figure’s ghostly gaze and the brilliance of the material he’s made of (silver, diamonds, obsidian and precious stones) is something that was likely to stay with anyone who experienced it, long after he or she left the gallery to join in the other Art Fair festivities. Focus 25

[campus currents]

[

]

The famed surrealist Leonora Carrington set the Art Fair’s tone with a memorable exhibit featuring her sons and grandchildren.

By Kelly Arthur Garrett, ASF Parent

[campus currents]

[family Forum]

Bear Tales

Dealing with Burns

Homecoming at ASF is turning the corner toward a new tradition. By Elliott Austin Kuhn, Upper School English Teacher

olman Stadium, home of the ASF Bears, fell under autumn hues on the evening of October 23, 2009. Over the loudspeakers, music ranging from country to reggaeton was making the rounds. In the distance, a groundskeeper gingerly climbed up to the scoreboard and flicked on its radiant glow. As night crept over the field, the humming stadium lights took hold. Sitting in the stands, one could feel a vibrating energy. Students, parents and faculty buzzed around in a flurry of anticipation spiced with jubilation. Homecoming had come again to ASF. It was not your parents’ Homecoming. It was not intended to be. There was no interest in hauling out a goliath of nostalgia for an annual Friday night masquerade. Homecoming 2009 was all about transition to the 21st century. Not that nostalgia didn’t run deep for many in attendance. Monica Solorzano, a ’96 graduate and current Upper School math teacher, recalled what this night was like in its previous incarnation. “It was Homecoming, you know?” she said. “The king, the queen, the cars around the track, the face paint, the class colors. That changed about five years ago. It has been different.” Indeed tonight was different. Warming up on the field was not the varsity football team, but rather the girls soccer squad. The immediate reason for the switch was a scheduling conflict, but there were two other factors in the decision to give the Lady Bears the nod for the big game. One is that Athletics & Extended Learning Head Kenneth Andersen and Athletics Coordinator Noah Randall decided girls varsity soccer is clearly a team worth highlighting. They are, after all, the defending champions, having taken the citywide championship last June with a 1-0 victory over CUM at Estadio Azteca. Perhaps more significant for the long term, this year’s untraditional game falls in line with the ASF Athletics Department’s goals for

26 Focus

Homecoming. “We are moving toward a Homecoming weekend where all sports teams play at home over the span of three days,” Andersen said. “And they will be accompanied by activities such as picnics, lunches and the annual Golf Tournament.” Game-day activities this year featured a taquiza —an outdoor Mexican-style barbeque of sorts— which was a big hit with the pre-game attendees, and post-game. The post-game highlight was a dinner for the players from both teams and their families. In the vein of being different, there were also two new additions that took place during the game. To bolster the ASF spirit, an impromptu drum corps was assembled by Sarah Cook, the Middle School’s choral director. Snares, bass drums and congas narrated every movement in the game. Building off the rhythms was the gyrating joy of ASF’s mascot as he danced and shimmied down the track, all 130 ursine kilos of him. On a more somber note, the event took place in the wake of a school tragedy. Before the match, a moment of silence was held for a fallen member of the ASF community (see page 39). Finally, applause swallowed the moment after the team captain proclaimed, “This game is for you, Pato!” The game itself was brilliant. The Lady Bears trapped and passed their way to a 2-0 win over the JFK Jaguares, from Querétaro. The two goals scored by ASF were a fanfare of raging drum rolls, rebel yells and giant bear cartwheels. In the final minutes of the game, the varsity girls maintained possession, waiting for the time to run out. When it did, the crowd cheered. And with that, another Homecoming was logged in the books. Perhaps it was a mere shadow of the old in one sense. But in another, it’s the promise of the future, and the future of Homecoming at ASF will be anything but traditional. Homecoming will be —as this one was— a testament to the unstoppable collective spirit of the ASF community. As the stadium lights dimmed, the faces of the slowly exiting fans took the luminosity with them.

Burns pose an ever-present threat in the family home. How much do you really know about treating them? By Dr. Isaac Rozen Fuller, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgeon

t goes without saying that anybody responsible for the well-being of young people should be familiar with the danger of burns. Understanding some basic principles will help parents and educators —and anybody else— recognize the seriousness of a burn and know what to do when one occurs. The most common burns are from radiation (sunburn), fire, scalding water or other liquids (especially common with young children), very hot objects (such as around the stovetop) and hot oil. Less frequent causes are electricity and chemical solutions such as certain household cleaning solvents. The seriousness of burns varies, depending on their depth and the size of the surface area affected. Though less serious burns can usually be taken care of at home, everybody should understand that any burn that goes deeper than the outer layer of skin requires immediate emergency medical care by professionals. If you are not sure whether the burn has penetrated the surface, seek urgent care. If the burn covers wide areas of the hands or feet, or any part of the face or genitals, get emergency care. It matters how deep a burn penetrates because your skin is not a single entity. What we see as skin is really a top covering, called the epidermis. Below the epidermis is the dermis, which itself consists of superficial and deep layers. The dermis is where many of the nerves, blood vessels, sweat glands and hair follicles are found, along with collagen and elastin fibers. Burn severity is usually ranked by depth of penetration, as follows:

• First-degree burns affect only the epidermis. Not surprisingly (and thankfully), they are the most common. The skin is very red and there are no blisters. Though painful, first-degree burns don’t leave scars, and heal in four to eight days. • Second-degree burns reach into the dermis, producing blisters

and turning the skin noticeably red and moist. Second-degree burns that reach only partially into the dermis (often the result of scalds from hot water or steam) heal in one or two weeks, usually leaving the new skin with a pale pink color. Deeper-penetrating second-degree burns, as from hot oil, create large blisters and turn the skin under them a creamy white. Healing of these “deep” second-degree burns takes up to three weeks, and the permanent skin color may vary and can show visible scarring.

• Third-degree burns seriously damage all skin layers and require

grafts, since the entire thickness of the skin is essentially dead and will not heal. The other factor in evaluating a burn is its extent —that is, how much skin surface is burnt. There is a significant medical difference, for example, between a third-degree burn affecting two percent of the body’s skin, and a less severe first-degree burn covering 90 percent. The first will permanently damage the affected area. The second will heal and probably not leave any scarring, but is very serious nonetheless. Dangerous dehydration is a possibility, and many harmful secondary effects could set in.

What do you do if you or a member of your family receives a burn at home? Here are some basic recommendations: 1.

As soon as a burn occurs, run lots of cold water over the injured area. Cold water (not ice) eases the pain and lessens the chance that the burn will proceed deeper into the skin.

2. Seek emergency medical help for any non-superficial burn. Call for paramedics or rush to an urgent care facility immediately after all second-degree or third-degree burns, and after first-degree burns that cover large areas of your body, or affect significant portions of your hands or feet, or that touch any part of your face or genitals. 3. For superficial burns, place sterile gauze smeared with petroleum jelly directly on the wound. Then cover the gauze with a large sterile bandage. This protects the burned area. Remove the gauze after 24 hours if the burned area is dry and pain-free. 4. Take an analgesic such as Tempra or Dolac. This is for pain relief. 5. Stay away from alternative or natural remedies. Whether homemade or bought over the counter, folk remedies such as tepezcohuite, butter or aloe vera can contaminate the burned area and increase the risk of scarring or spotting. Stick with cold water and petroleum jelly. 6. With serious burns, don’t try to remove burned clothing stuck to the wound. Just leave it there and get to an emergency room. 7.

See a doctor if the pain persists for more than a few days. This is especially important if the affected area stays humid. The burn may have been more severe than you thought.

8. Once healed, keep the superficial burn area well moisturized. Use any non-perfumed body or hand cream for several days. And use oil-free sunscreen on the area for several months. Isaac Rozen Fuller, an ASF parent, is head of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department at Hospital Angeles de las Lomas. Focus 27

[campus currents]

[family Forum]

Bear Tales

Dealing with Burns

Homecoming at ASF is turning the corner toward a new tradition. By Elliott Austin Kuhn, Upper School English Teacher

26 Focus

Burns pose an ever-present threat in the family home. How much do you really know about treating them? By Dr. Isaac Rozen Fuller, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgeon

• Third-degree burns seriously damage all skin layers and require

What do you do if you or a member of your family receives a burn at home? Here are some basic recommendations: 1.

As soon as a burn occurs, run lots of cold water over the injured area. Cold water (not ice) eases the pain and lessens the chance that the burn will proceed deeper into the skin.

See a doctor if the pain persists for more than a few days. This is especially important if the affected area stays humid. The burn may have been more severe than you thought.

[family forum]

Got a Second? When a family of three turns into a family of four, life becomes richer for everybody —and more complicated. Amalia Noriega, who serves on the board of the Mexican Institute of Family and Population Research (IMIFAP), is a psychologist in ASF’s Early Childhood Center. An expert in family and couples therapy, Dr. Noriega recently shared with Focus some advice for parents who are expecting —or already have— a second child. Here’s some of what she had to say: FOCUS: What is the main difference between having a first and second child? AMALIA NORIEGA: The birth of the first child is a new and beau-

tiful experience for a couple. Its grandiosity requires a major adjustment in the family system. With the second child, there is no longer that sense of novelty for the parents. But the new addition produces strong internal changes in the child who was already there.

FOCUS: What kind of changes? AN: The new arrival can be seen as a threat to the first child’s security and to the relationship with his or her parents, especially with the mother. Also, with the birth of the new baby the firstborn is now considered “the big one.” That can result in a reluctance to express feelings —“I can’t cry because I’m not little anymore.”

FOCUS: How can parents deal with that? AN: It’s important to help the first child express the difficulty he or she

is having in accepting the new baby. But many well-intentioned parents, in their eagerness to maintain family peace, tend to only encourage the older child to be happy about this “beautiful new gift.” The firstborn might interpret this encouragement as a demand to remain silent about how he or she feels about having to share Mom.

FOCUS: Having a baby brother or sister makes the firstborn angry? AN: The pain ultimately comes from sadness more than anger, from the

fear of losing the mother. It can manifest itself in different ways. It can be verbal —“What an ugly baby!” “Stop holding him!” Or it can manifest itself in the return of problem behaviors long since overcome, such as thumb sucking, or temper tantrums, or even not wanting to go to school because he or she wants to stay with Mommy.

FOCUS: So what can a parent do about these possible problems? AN: Again, it’s very important to encourage the older child to express his

or her true feelings in conversation, rather than letting him or her stay stuck in frustration. And you want to help him or her channel those difficulties in accepting the new baby into something positive. Games help. Use your 28 Focus

FOCUS: So you treat them exactly as equals. AN: Not exactly. It’s natural that the older child has more privileges and

more responsibilities. That gives the older child satisfaction, and establishes a precedent for the younger one who will assume some of those functions as he or she gets older and the first child moves on to new ones. As long as each knows that he or she has a special and specific place in the family that respects the birth order, it is easier for love to flow among all family members.

FOCUS: Is there a best way for parents to stop a fight between their kids? AN: When you intervene in one of their conflicts, the most important

thing is for you to establish that you are in control, without showing any anger or exasperation. (That’s not always easy, because parents often get involved only after they’ve become angry or exasperated.) The first priority is to restore calm. To do that, you must speak in a low voice. Seeing that their parent is in control of herself or himself, and therefore in control of the situation, has a calming effect on the kids. That creates an atmosphere where talking it out is possible. It is also important that the children see that you are completely neutral and fair.

FOCUS: So once they’re calmed down, do I punish them? AN: It rarely solves anything, especially when they are very young. If you

punish them for fighting over who gets to choose what program to watch, that conflict is still going to be there during and after the punishment.

FOCUS: What’s better then? AN: It’s more productive to go over the situation that caused the conflict

in a way that both can express their point of view knowing both will be heard. It is also very useful to refer to the feelings each one has. Hearing how the other feels can lead to understanding. Then try to offer solutions in which neither child comes out the loser. Suggesting that they take turns with a toy might be one example, albeit one of the easier ones.

FOCUS: Any other thoughts? AN: Remember that at the core of the rivalry is a struggle for their parents’ love and attention. Let them know often that they both have those things. Make informal appointments with each child individually, where they know they will be listened to without interruptions. This reinforces their sense of individuality, and helps them feel secure about their parents’ affection for them.

imagination. For example, recreate the time when the firstborn was the new baby. Show him or her photos of the pregnancy, the great moments after the birth, the flowers, the excitement, the joy —so the firstborn experiences all those marvelous feelings that were directly related to him or her.

FOCUS: Are there other issues down the road with a second child? AN: With the arrival of the second child, the fraternal relationship be-

gins. And it continues as they get older, of course. The role of brother or sister implies love and mutual help. Brothers and sisters entertain each other. They learn to share, they learn to compete and they learn to come to agreement. But they also hurt each other.

FOCUS: That’s for sure. Why do they do that? AN: They’re impulsive. Small children rely on impulses and it’s only over time that they learn how to control them. They learn from experience and from the modeling their parents give them.

FOCUS: So parents can help keep the sibling conflicts in check? AN: Yes, parents can calm the rivalry. But they can also make it worse.

The main thing to remember is that the only behavior you can control directly is your own. And that’s a very useful strategy for cooling down a sibling rivalry. “Forbidding” a rivalry won’t work. What you want to do instead is foment positive family relationships. That’s where your efforts should lie. We’d all like to have at our disposal some kind of ever-ready trick for “fixing” our children’s behavior. Quick fixes rarely exist. Change is gradual, and always the result of an ongoing positive process.

FOCUS: How do parents make the rivalry worse? AN: Having your own problems as a couple usually provokes rivalries

between the children. Each child may become an “ally” of a different parent, which means that loving the sibling, not to mention the other parent, would be a conflict of loyalty. It is not functional for the siblings’ relationship for their parents to be having marital troubles. Also, perceived favoritism obviously incites competition. It’s not enough to assure them that you love them both the same and have no favorite. They need to see the evidence, daily.

ASF mom, Pia Rojo and her son Juan Pablo are preparing for a new baby —an exciting but sometimes challenging time for a family.

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