Inside Chapel #27 English

CHAPEL

Issue 27 - August 2023 / ISSN 2527-2160

YOUNG TROJANS

Inside Chapel’s most successful sports program

JIU-JITSU FOR CHILDREN

Former student Caio Malta recounts how Chapel provided him with the foundation to bring innovation to the world

STRONG BONDS BETWEEN PARENTS

AND CHILDREN

Essay by Sanda Lawisch

PERMISSIVENESS = ABANDONMENT

TURNING WITH THE WORLD

How trips and a shared purpose kept the Klink family united

To Leo Fraiman, excessive screen time is an impending tragedy when raising children

Fr. Lindomar Felix da Silva OMI, Provincial of Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Brazil

IN SEARCH OF REAL CONNECTIONS

Dear Inside Chapel magazine readers, we are beginning the school year. This is a new opportunity to deepen our knowledge and learning. This not only applies to Chapel’s students, but also to mothers, fathers, and our team, ranging from technical areas to the faculty. Recently, the statement “I am very connected” has become synonymous with time spent online on social networks, or on electronic games. As the interview with psychologist Leo Fraiman points out, excessive screen time has kept our young away from the incredible learning provided by human relationships. It is not a matter of condemning technology itself, but of realizing that our young are depriving themselves of real, face-to-face connections which require presence and a real interest in others.

“Educators have noticed that a student’s gaze is no longer bright. That is very sad,” laments Fraiman.

Practicing sports can be an effective and healthy path to connection, as evidenced by the journey of our alum Caio Malta and the success of Chapel’s Young Trojans program. Both are topics featured in the articles. In sports, cooperation and the ability to work in teams are fostered alongside other lifelong desirable attributes for our young, such as respect, commitment, and persistence.

The cover story on the Klink family has a precious message: no environment is as important for strengthening ties as the family. By recognizing and addressing personality differences and a variety of professional interests, the couple Amyr and Marina passed on a vision of tolerance and empathy to their daughters. At this time when each of them journeys through the world on their own path, all members of this family know very well that what is essential is to not lose the connection.

The significant importance of parental bond is highlighted by Sanda Lawisch, a child development specialist, in the closing article of this edition, which is so rich in teachings. One of the thought-provoking questions posed in the article is especially unsettling: Have you ever asked yourself how you will be remembered years from now when your son or daughter describes their connection with their parents?

Each moment of our lives presents a unique learning opportunity, but learning depends on the connections we create - be they with knowledge acquired by humanity, with others, or with ourselves. By addressing different nuances of the “connection” theme, this edition of Inside Chapel is also a major source of inspiration for earning.

I wish our dear readers a school year filled with achievements - and with many connections!

STAFF

INSIDE CHAPEL IS A SEMI-ANNUAL PUBLICATION BY CHAPEL SCHOOL WWW.CHAPELSCHOOL.COM

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Miguel Tavares Ferreira, Marcos Tavares Ferreira, Adriana Rede, and Luciana Brandespim

EDITOR: Paula Veneroso MTB 23.596 (paulaveneroso@gmail.com)

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Fernanda Caires (publications@chapelschool.com)

CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS EDITION: Adriana Calabró, Maurício Oliveira, Paula Veneroso, and Sanda Lawisch

PHOTOS:

Anna Quast, Chapel Archives, Diogo Brum, Giovanna Conservanni, Lucas Gallo, Marina Klink, Paula Marina, Pedro Dimitrov, Personal Archives, Rick Arruda, and Victor Affaro

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Vitor de Castro Fernandes (design.vitor@gmail.com)

TRANSLATIONS: Chapel School

PRINTER: Margraf

Ms. Juliana Menezes, School Director and Elementary School Principal

The 27th edition of Inside Chapel welcomes the start of the 2023-2024 school year! We are thrilled to embark on this journey of learning, growth, and connection with each one of you. As we begin this new academic year, we want to emphasize the significance of fostering solid connections within our school community and beyond. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life, often losing sight of the importance of genuine human connection. We are social beings, and the relationships we cultivate shape our experiences and perspectives. Building meaningful connections creates a sense of belonging, support, and shared experiences that enrich our lives.

We encourage families to invest time and effort in developing lasting bonds with one another. The connections formed between families and students, parents and teachers, and friends within the community provide an invaluable foundation of support. These relationships become the pillars upon which we build resilience, empathy, and a strong sense of community.

As parents, your presence and attentiveness are pivotal in shaping your children’s lives. Your involvement in their education, interests, and challenges creates a nurturing environment that nurtures well-rounded individuals. Spending quality time together, away from screens fosters open communication and the opportunity to truly understand each other’s thoughts and feelings.

Technology has enriched our lives in countless ways, but let’s remember the power of face-to-face interactions. As we encourage our students to substitute screens for genuine interactions, we pave the way for deeper connections. Taking walks, playing board games, engaging in meaningful conversations, and creating cherished memories together form the foundation of secure relationships that will withstand the test of time.

Life is a collection of stories, memories, and experiences that shape who we are. Take the time to register your family’s unique stories and significant life events. These moments, when preserved, become treasures that can be passed down through generations, connecting your legacy to the future.

As we embark on this new school year, let us remember that education isn’t just about textbooks and grades; it’s about cultivating a purposeful life. Set objectives that inspire you, goals that challenge you, and interests that lead you to the realization of your dreams. Each step you take on this journey contributes to the greater purpose of personal and collective growth.

ADRIANA CALABRÓ

[A Meaningful Life, p. 09]

Is a journalist, writer, and screenwriter. She has received awards in the areas of communication (Best of Bates International, NY Festival, and Creation Club) and literature (Puc/UNESCO Best Books of 2017, ProAc Literature Scholarship, Off-Flip Award Finalist, winner of the João de Barro Award, Free Opinion Award finalist, and Paulo Leminski Award finalist). Adriana has been working as a facilitator at a Creative Writing Workshop called Palavra Criada (palavracriada.com.br) since 2005.

MAURÍCIO OLIVEIRA

[Beyond Sports, p. 16 and Stories in Progress, p. 20]

Has written for the main Brazilian press outlets, including Veja, Exame, O Estado de S. Paulo, Valor Econômico and UOL. Maurício has a Master’s degree in Cultural History and a doctorate degree in Journalism from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), and has published over 30 books, which include Amores Proibidos na História do Brasil, Garibaldi, Herói dos Dois Mundos, and Pelé, O Rei Visto de Perto.

SANDA LAWISCH

[Bonding With Parents: the Basis for Developing Emotional Resilience, p. 35]

Sanda has a degree in Childhood Development, and a Master’s in Public Health. She is passionate about neuroscience and research and spends most of her time helping families find the middle ground in disciplining children. Her strong personality, which in essence is the rebellious spirit of an undiagnosed ADHD, led her to experience several traditional disciplinary methods as a child (punishment including physical ones, and lectures, among others), which left deep emotional scars. That is why she tries to effect a change in other children’s lives through the work she carries out with their parents.

PAULA VENEROSO

[Motivated by Challenges, p. 30]

Is the editor of Inside Chapel. She is a journalist with a Master’s degree in Portuguese from PUCSP. She has worked as a copyeditor, writer and reporter at Veja and Veja São Paulo magazines and at Folha de S. Paulo Newspaper. For more than 20 years she taught graduate courses in journalism. She currently works as a book designer and editor, in addition to producing and editing news articles for print and digital media.

DIGITAL EXCESSES 09

Psychologist Leo Fraiman states that a permissive upbringing is a type of abandonment.

FOCUS ON SPORTS

The Young Trojans Program raises Chapel’s sporting activities to the level of success.

SAFE HARBOR

The Klinks recount how they deal with distance and homesickness, and how this has strengthened family ties.

SPORTS EDUCATION

Former student Caio Malta created an international federation that promotes jiu-jitsu championships for children.

ESSAY

Child Development expert Sanda Lawisch gives parents tips on how to create special moments with children.

SPOTLIGHT

Returning from trips; teachers at AMISA 2023; MUN awards; the Shark Tank Project; and the Reading Fair. Find out what was news at Chapel.

TALENTS & PASSIONS

Get to know the hobbies and skills of seven students and two teachers.

GALLERY

Photos of the events that brought the school community together in the last academic year: Carnaval, International Festival, Little 8, Big 8, and Young Trojans sport tournaments, as well as 12th grade, 6th grade, and kindergarten graduations.

A MEANINGFUL LIFE

The childhood of an introverted boy has its challenges, and so does the process of a teenager’s pre-college entrance exam. Having experienced these stages firsthand helped Leo Fraiman, an educational psychology specialist, become the qualified expert he is today. In his words: “Every good psychologist I know has undergone pain. When we can steer through it, we turn pain into love. The feeling of not fitting in, of having insecurities, doubting one’s career, are the motives that drove my work.” Success came with the same intensity as his passion for the profession. His many study objects include the concept of happiness and the paths to reach it authentically. “Today we have access to goods and services that were unimaginable in the past, but, paradoxically, dissatisfaction has also increased tremendously,” says the psychologist who sees the digital lifestyle we lead as one of the reasons for general discontent.

Fraiman has a master’s degree in psychology from USP, as well as four graduate degrees in Education and Human Development. He pays close attention to what is happening in Brazil and in the world and has noticed that there is an impending tragedy brewing right under our very noses. “Another pandemic that is killing souls is in the making. The child who has grown up addicted to screens, who does not look at anyone’s eyes, and still slaps his/her mother when confronted, what can be expected of him/her?” In this imbroglio, where digital excess intersects with the lack of limits, the outsourcing phenomena is an aggravating factor: “It is easier to allow screen time, medicate, outsource to schools, set up a staff with a personal trainer, a psychologist, a nanny, because parents lack real availability. However, though I may assert that raising kids is an issue, not raising them is an even greater one.”

Adriana Calabró Paula Marina

A TRAGEDY IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT THIS EXACT MOMENT. EXCESSIVE SCREEN TIME IS NUMBING PEOPLE’S POTENTIAL AND ABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH THE WORLD. PSYCHOLOGIST LEO FRAIMAN TALKS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF THIS SCENARIO, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, AND SUGGESTS AVENUES TO AROUSE A MORE CONSCIENTIOUS LIFE

That is the norm of the kids and teenagers who go to Leo’s office: depression, anxiety, self-harm, obesity, irritability, poor sleep, lack of empathy, and what might be termed as digital dementia. “It is the first generation in history where the generation has an IQ that is lower than their parents’. What will it be like going forward? In the professional world, a young person will have to compete with people from all over the world as well as with artificial intelligence. What chance does a student with a mindset of an heir have? Selfish, neurotic, isolated, screen- or alcohol-dependent? What chance does he/she have of becoming relevant? It is not about money; it is about giving meaning to life, because “those who have a reason ‘why’ can bear almost any ‘how’”. The quote mentioned by Fraiman belongs to one of his main points of reference, i.e., the Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, creator of logotherapy, a system based on the search for meaning. It is the guiding thread that can lead us to solve this major contemporary dilemma.

A kind of abandonment

According to the psychologist and author of over 20 books on education, pampering children and teenagers excessively also extends to permissiveness in cell phone and internet use. To Leo, it is also a disservice and another type of abandonment.

The post-pandemic reality showed us how big this emotional hole is, and one that cannot be filled. Children and teenagers were strongly affected, and closed themselves up in their private screen world, avoiding contact. Moreover, it was not parents’ overzealousness, material goods, a power play to the school board on behalf of their children, that did away with the feeling of loss. To Leo, what happened, and keeps on occurring, is quite the opposite. “In trying to be cool, fathers and mothers want to make their children happy at any cost, and ultimately become disloyal - disloyal to the school, to

the laws, to themselves, and even to their children.” The root of these issues might be in the life story of these adults, who want to heal their own internal wounds, even if unconsciously, whether the motive be “my child cannot experience what I went through,” or one of using the child or teenager as a narcissistic totem, writing daily posts about their kids, or extolling their kids’ smallest achievements, thus proving their own success as parents, not to mention the competition between parents, who use their child as a way of gaining an ally. The good news is that, according to Fraiman’s way of thinking, childhood wounds exert an influence, but are not deterministic. What defines a human being are the choices he/she makes based on his/her experiences, and the map for this avenue is not the screens, but what is inside every person.

You have been promoted

For Leo Fraiman, our culture is not prepared to deal with kids and teenagers. This is because instead of protecting and taking care of them, parents and other social agents choose to idolize them, and worst of all, promote them to adults before its time, which leaves them in a state of anxiety and anguish. Science says that the orbitofrontal cortex, the area responsible for decision-making, is only completely formed about age 25. Even so, children are the ones who have been deciding what car dad should buy, and where the family will be spending its vacation or dining over the weekend. This is tantamount to forced overprotection, which takes away the chance of children’s and teenagers’ being guided or cared for. “By bundling the idea that someone can do everything, a person can actually do nothing. It is a jungle instead of garden mentality,” explains Leo, who understands more than anyone else that navigating teenage issues takes hard work. As a psychologist, who studies human behavior and education, he observes that it is easier for parents to think

that children know exactly what they want. That is how the electronic cigarette, gin at a 15th birthday party, fake ID and other questionable issues become normalized. He underscores the electronic cigarette issue and its excessive use. “Everyone is addicted. In the subway, on an airplane, everyone is on their screen. Then parents say: ‘I can’t take away his video game.’ What do you mean, you can’t? You must know how to be the adult in this matter. The whole system is sick. Vices do not come from nowhere, nor do they happen overnight. We need to pay attention,” he concludes.

A project for the future

Understanding the dangers for a

“OUR FUTURE IS SHAPED BY OUR CHOICES. THE FUTURE IS NOT A DONE DEAL, AND MUCH LESS DOOMED. IT WILL BECOME WHAT WE MAKE OF IT”

not imply that technology should be ignored. So much so that the educational methodology conceived by Leo

Fraiman,

OPEE (the acronym for professional orientation, employability, and entrepreneurship in Portuguese) is based on a gamified, playful, dynamic structure that employs digital and technological resources wisely. That is, it is a humanized way of learning in the modern world, and one that uses world renowned knowledge from highend areas of the humanities and social sciences. At the core of this system, there is a life project, an individual path that must be built day-by-day, concretely, by thinking beings who are not content in replicating what has already been given. “The life project is an emotional self-management that covers several aspects, including career counseling. It is the one that guides all others, because, if you don’t have a life project, you are beholden to pursing a death project, and annulling yourself,” states Leo. The interventions to implement OPEE in schools are systematic. It is not just a class or a talk, but an entire process that engages teenagers in their life project and bears tangible results. “I can put forth several accounts of mental health improvement, from post-traumatic

recovery to diminishing the effects of the pandemic. I see children as being more balanced, calmer, more united, dealing better with pain.”

This line of thought is aligned with another of the psychotherapist’s benchmarks: the Science of Happiness, the topic of his last post-doc thesis, guided by Tal Ben-Shahar. One of the premises is the focus on emotional competence, which gives people the permission to be truly human by assimilating life’s natural processes, which all of us, including children and teenagers, must face. Figuring among the premises are knowing how to wait, having pain, and suffering. This same object of study includes the importance of building connections that, en passant, often take a backseat when the attention is focused on social networks and their fleeting stimuli. It is worth remembering that, when it comes to happiness, it is better to have just one best friend than five hundred followers.

Behind the screens

After many years of interacting with families, Leo Fraiman is sure that no father or mother errs because they want to. They simply do not realize the harm they are causing by not setting limits. “The excuses come in

all sizes and shapes when the topic is screen addiction: ‘they are digital natives,’ ‘they will fall behind in technology’... However, that is not true - playing Minecraft is not going to make anyone become a good architect.” He points out further that the harmful effects of this behavior are already engrained: “Educators have noticed that a student’s gaze is no longer bright. That is very sad. The rituals of coexistence, talking, and eating dinner together, have been replaced by screens, by series and violent games, by the cell phone in the restaurant, or on outings.” In his course, titled Raising children digitally (Educando filhos na área digital), Fraiman provides valuable tips so that these excesses can be balanced out. “It is not about controlling and punishing; it is about guiding, loving, caring for, and protecting. Children and teenagers will suffer if they become addicted, or if they do not free themselves of the addiction. The limits are welcome as constituents of one’s self. Not to have limits is to live as savages,” he observes.

Imagination as an antidote

Leo Fraiman comments on a postulate of the thinker, Yuval Harari, who says that one of the primary threats to

“MY LIFE PROJECT IS INSPIRING OTHERS TO BUILD THEIR LIFE PROJECTS”

FROM AGE 0 TO 6 - no screens.

FROM AGE 6 TO 12 - one hour of screen time.

OVER 12 – no more than two hours of screen time.

Promoting islands of tranquility with NO CELL PHONES; proposing moments of effective presence, so that “an ordinary moment becomes extraordinary”.

the human being is brain hacking. An example of this is that, thanks to apps, no one can remember phone numbers or how to get places. Cell phones are needed for everything, and attention has become exogenous (derived from the outside) and fuzzy. – It does not make demands on the brain, does not involve too much work. This makes everyone remain in a state of digital dementia, such as what we are now witnessing. There are possible solutions, but we need to go back to using another type of attention for this to occur: “When we read a book, imagination is at work; we use endogenous attention (derived from inside) to gain wisdom and knowledge. That is why I say that the future belongs to those who read. Instead of medicating children, we must be a little more reserved. We need a small drop of shame to look at what we are building; we must take a step back to correct this very dangerous lifestyle.” He suggests more antidotes to this harmful scenario by adding the various art forms, psychotherapy, sports, meditation,

contact with nature, even silence, and contemplation. If knowledge is no longer a distinguishing feature in the world of artificial intelligence and Chat GPT, all that’s left is to go back to using the wisdom that makes us better people, not because the digital world claims that it is so, but because of true experience. “Young people must set their sights on building, designing, executing. They have to understand that the saying ‘where there is a will, there is a way’ is not a truth. Willing to do something implies willing to build, design, err, correct, go ahead, and only afterwards will a way be found.”

The presence of virtue

When asked to give the young people who will read this article a message, Leo Fraiman suggests autonomy and responsibility. “My message is what I learned as a teen: parents are very important, but they do not own our lives, nor the truth. They are the starting point. There will come a time when we shall have to cut the psychological umbilical cord, grab hold

of life, and make ourselves relevant. In a society where everyone wants to be important, those who care will stand out. Eventually, I understood that I’m the one who takes care of my life, my body, and this asset that is my brain.” The psychotherapist further addresses the issue of purpose as an element that builds meaning. “There is no regret in virtue. If you do not have the desire to go after what you want, then do it anyway, without desire. Purpose rises above motivation and will; both of these behaviors are common in animals that rely on stimuli from others or from the moment. Purpose is something that only mankind has. It is what makes an injured athlete go back to playing, or someone with a serious illness say, ‘I will win.’ A human being has choices and his/her future is shaped by them. If we woke up today, it is because we had something to do, something to contribute to. We need to take part in the wheel of life.” This is undoubtedly some good advice for children, teenagers, and also adults who want to grab hold of their lives and give it more meaning.

Leo Fraiman offers to help parents meet their educational challenge free of charge through the open app Escola para Pais (school for parents), which includes videos, reports, podcasts, and other useful information. Find out more about it here

SCREENS at mealtimes, on outings, before going to school, before bedtime.

Ministério da Cultura, Governo do Estado de São Paulo, por meio da Secretaria de Cultura e Economia Criativa, e Paço das Artes present:

One of the largest projects in the country for the selection of contemporary artists. Visit the 27th exposition of the selected artists.

Five Contemporary Artists First Curated Artist

Opening

June 30 from 7 to 9 PM. Visitação until October 1st

Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 11 AM to 7 PM

Sundays and Holidays, from 12 to 6 PM

Free Entrance General Audience

PAÇO DAS ARTES

Rua Albuquerque Lins, 1345

Higienópolis – São Paulo-SP

pacodasartes.org.br

pacodasartes

By Maurício Oliveira

Chapel Archive

THE

BEYOND SPORTS

Sport activities at Chapel have taken on new direction after teacher Bruno Pereira became the sports director in 2018. Bruno structured the Young Trojans Program, which is comprised of a wide grid of extracurricular sports activities for the Elementary School students. As such, while the students’ interests began to be considered more comprehensively, their families gained new alternatives for working out a more suitable daily schedule.

The outcome has been extremely positive, as can been seen from the extensive subscription to the program. “Today, 86% of Chapel’s Elementary School students do some kind of extracurricular sports activity at school. Even from 7th grade onwards, when academic demands and other interests compete for teenagers’ attention, the subscription rate continues to be very high - 81%,” boasts Chapel’s sports director.

The new structure only became possible because of maximum optimization of the available space, which required giving up a few of the activities that were offered in school, such as in-line skating, ballet, and judo. “We understand that

Photos:

YOUNG TROJANS PROGRAM DEVELOPS ATTRIBUTES SUCH AS DISCIPLINE, COMMITMENT, RESPECT, PERSISTENCE, COLLABORATION, AND TEAMWORK

certain types of activities are more productive when done out of school, in places that specialize in these activities,” recounts teacher Bruno. “The priority is to have good quality in what we provide.”

The focus today is to prepare teams and train them in the modalities that compete in the high school Junior Varsity (JV) and Varsity (V) categories that Elementary School students will participate in later. Chapel competes in the São Paulo High School League (SPHSL) tournament, which brings together five schools, and is held throughout the semester, and also in the Association of American Schools in Brazil (AASB), which includes 14 schools and two more British schools by invitation. These are traditional competitions in which Chapel has participated since the 1970s.

The greatest goal, however, is to use sports activities as a means of enhancing the values described in Chapel’s mission: “In a caring and academically challenging environment, Chapel provides an American-style education to an international student body. Through Christian values, students learn to make informed decisions, to own responsibility for personal actions and community needs, and to respect life and cultural diversity.”

These goals are boosted during sport practices, by the development of interpersonal skills, i.e., the socalled soft skills, such as discipline,

commitment, respect, perseverance, collaboration, and teamwork. “Our concern is to train citizens. We don’t expect to forge professional athletes here,” says the sports director.

On SPHSL game days, parent involvement can go beyond cheering from the bleachers. The mothers who represent the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) participate in the Booster Club, coordinating activities and inviting parents to volunteer at the school’s canteen. In addition to getting closer to students, it is a way to boost the sense of community, which is so remarkable at Chapel.

Planted seeds

The new stage for practicing Chapel’s sports has also been a time for breaking paradigms and making cultural changes. One example is cheerleading, which ceased to be merely an exhibition last year, and gained competitive status in international school championships. Traditionally associated with girls, the modality has been drawing boys, who are interested in the rich combination of art and sports that it provides. On the other hand, there has been major interest in girls’ soccer, pointing out that girls are already a majority in the 5th and 6th grades.

Activities in the Young Trojans sports program start in 1st grade. As such, children have the chance to practice sports starting at age six, even if only very playfully. “In this

timeframe, we try to plant a small seed to awaken the enthusiasm for physical activity, sports, and healthy habits,” says the director.

In the 1st and 2nd grades, group sports teams are not divided by gender - boys and girls practice together. The split only starts in third grade. The rules of each modality, as well as the technical and tactical issues, are taught and understood organically during the activities, as students gain maturity.

There are no official tournaments before age 12, only exhibition matches against other schools or at festivals, which helps children learn early on how to interact and deal appropriately with the rush from victories, as well as the frustration from defeats. There are times when the school hosts visitors, and others when Chapel teams play at other schools.

Ability to adapt

The idea is that kids between the ages of 6 and 12 should play against other schools only in friendly games, and in activities that include students of the same age. When they get to Junior Varsity, which runs from ages 12 to 15, the age mix increases, and a team might have members of all ages. The same occurs afterwards in Varsity, which runs from age 16 to 18.

This evolution includes a natural variation in students’ status throughout their sports trajectory at Chapel. Those

TEQBOL, A NEW MODALITY

Always aware of novelties and student demands, Chapel recently purchased a table for TEQbol, a sport that has been growing significantly in Brazil and throughout the world. TEQbol mixes the principles of table tennis with soccer skills. “The idea is that students will begin to practice the modality for fun during recess, and that we will form teams later on to participate in official tournaments, both individually and in doubles,” projects Bruno.

who were the oldest in the group become the youngest when they get to Junior Varsity - the process repeats itself when they are 15, and Junior Varsity veterans become Varsity juniors. “All of this contributes to gaining maturity, and adaptability to different situations,” describes Bruno.

Another change that will take place starting in Junior Varsity is the frequency of the program, which used to be yearly, and has now become semi-annually. The first semester, between August and December, has official soccer, basketball, and cheerleading tournaments. In the second semester, between January and June, the season holds indoor soccer, volleyball, softball (baseball), and more cheerleading events.

Varsity has a traditional tournament, the Big 8, where eight schools compete at Acampamento Nosso Recanto, known as NR, in the town of Sapucaí-Mirim, in southern Minas Gerais State. NR is a campground that has hosted international schools for sports tournaments since the 2000s, and provides excellent supervision, hospitality, food, and safety services. Little 8, which will become Little 10 with the participation of two additional schools, is associated with Junior Varsity, and also takes place there.

These competitions are organized by the schools themselves, based on conditions set by representatives from all participating schools. There are occasional adjustments from one year

to the next, including changes to the official rules of the modalities - one example of a change made under common agreement is that a soccer player who has been replaced can now go back to the field, which is not allowed under official rules.

Frustration is a part of it

Not all those participating in the high school sports program are present at official tournaments, because there is a draft based on technical criteria and the restricted number of spots in each match. However, those who are not drafted participate in a team that trains together and carries out the same number of activities and a similar level of organization, including a referee, and participation in games at home and away from home. The only difference is that the matches are for exhibition only, and do not count as tournaments.

“It is very important to deal with the frustration of not being drafted, and to continue practicing for the next opportunity, just as those who are drafted need to continue to practice intensely to keep their spot on the team,” highlights the teacher. “This is certainly part of the learning process, not only for students themselves, but also for fathers and mothers.” Chapel sports partners with families to help them understand that children have a different developmental timeframe and skill level. Not all of them will necessarily stand out in sports at the same time, and this is not what is most important, in view of all the other advantages gained by practicing sports.

There are other criteria for the

Misbehavior in any subject of the curriculum can preclude the student from participaitng in tournaments. Academic performance is also taken into consideration, since there is a minimum grade requirement that those who are selected must meet. “It is up to the student to arrange the playing board in order to reconcile sports with other academic activities,” recalls the sports director.

UNDERSTANDING THE TOURNAMENTS

LITTLE 8 / LITTLE 10

TEAMS: JUNIOR VARSITY (SUB-15)

When and where they take place: NR 2 (Acampamento Nosso Recanto), November and May

Participating schools:

Chapel, Graded, EAC, PACA, St. Paul’s, EARJ, EAB, British (Rio de Janeiro), Sant’Anna, and ISC

Modalities:

1st semester: soccer, basketball, and competitive cheerleading; 2ndsemester: indoor soccer, volleyball, softball, and exhibition cheerleading

BIG 8

TEAMS: VARSITY (SUB-19)

When and where they take place: NR 2 (Acampamento Nosso Recanto), October and April

Participating schools:

Chapel, Graded, EAC, PACA, EARJ, EAB, Sant’Anna, and ISC

Modalities:

1st semester: soccer, basketball, and competitive cheerleading; 2nd semester: indoor soccer, volleyball, softball, and exhibition cheerleading

AASB FINAL 4

TEAMS: VARSITY (SUB-19)

When and where they take place: at the host school (volunteer), December and May

Participating schools:

Winners and runner-up teams of each modality in the Big 8, and winners and runners-up in the ISSL (the other American schools and the British ones) tournaments

Modalities:

1st semester: soccer, basketball, and competitive cheerleading; 2nd semester: indoor soccer and volleyball

SPHSL

TEAMS: VARSITY (SUB-19) AND JR. VARSITY (SUB-15)

When and where they take place: Varsity: once at home and once away, against each opponent; Junior Varsity: two games at home and two away, throughout the first or the second semester

Participating schools:

Chapel, Graded, EAC, PACA, and St. Paul’s

Modalities:

1st semester: soccer, basketball, and competitive cheerleading; 2nd semester: indoor soccer, and volleyball

YOUNG TROJANS MODALITIES

Soccer

1st to 6th grade

Tennis

1st to 5th grade

Volleyball

5th and 6th grade

Basketball

1st to 6th grade

Flag Football

3rd to 5th grade

Gymnastics

1st to 6th grade

Cheerleading

1st to 6th grade

Multi-Sports

1st to 5th grade

By Maurício Oliveira

Photos: Anna Quast, Diogo Brum, Giovanna Conservanni, Lucas Gallo, Marina Klink, Pedro Dimitrov, Rick Arruda, and Victor Affaro

STORIES IN PROGRESS

AMYR AND MARINA KLINK’S THREE DAUGHTERS ARE FORGING DIFFERENT CAREER PATHS, BUT ALL OF THEM HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON: THE SEARCH FOR MEANING AND ACHIEVEMENT

The world turns, and few know this as well as Amyr Klink. His accomplishments include two polar circumnavigation voyages, dozens of expeditions to Antarctica, and the first crossing in a rowing boat across the South Atlantic, a feat that was accomplished in 1984 and recounted in the book One Hundred Days Between Sea and Sky, a bestseller that has sold over two million copies and defined a generation. Today, Amyr (age 67) still heads several projects and activities but is not away from home for long periods of time like before.

In the last few years, the experienced navigator has also noticed that the world turns in the figurative sense. The house is emptier now that twins Tamara and Laura (age 26) have gone to live overseas. “The situation has reversed. I feel what they felt when I was away for months,” admits Amyr. There is, however, no trace of sadness or regret in his speech. Quite the opposite. He is proud of the path the girls are trailing and has never felt guilt for missing his daughters’ birthdays or school presentations.

He recognizes that he could only have achieved so much because of the unconditional support of his life partner, Marina Bandeira Klink. “I used to tell the girls that their dad was far away, because he had gone to make stories,” recalls Marina, who could not have been given a more appropriate name, since it alludes to Amyr’s passion for the sea, and to the safe harbor she represents to him and their three daughters.

In fact, when he came home, Amyr had so many stories to tell, and they were so fantastic, that he never had to resort to fiction to entertain his daughters. “We only really understood that everything he had told us was true when we went to Antarctica for the first time,” recalls 23-year-old Marina Helena, called Marininha, the only one of the three daughters who still lives with her parents in São Paulo.

Nicknamed Nina, to distinguish from her mother’s name at home, Marininha talks about the first trip the family took to the icy continent from late 2005 to early 2006. She had turned six on January 1st in Cape Horn, at the southernmost point of the Americas, a place filled with relevance – a point of transition between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the last inhabited location before the family continued their voyage to Antarctica. The girl had an unforgettable “happy birthday,” sung by the 14 passengers on board, which included nine crew members in addition to the Klink family.

“We spent 40 life-changing days, during which we could truly see each of the girls, and notice talents and vocations that had not been clearly manifested in our daily routine, which is full of disruptions,” recalls Marina, the mother. She was the one who had the idea of taking the girls on this unforgettable trip. She suggested it to her husband as soon as he came back from his second circumnavigation. Amyr resisted initially because he had always been extremely careful when planning his voyages and thought that having three kids aboard could introduce unknown factors that would be complex to manage.

text or drawings. “After that, they could look at the penguins, play in the snow, or do whatever they wanted,” recalls Amyr. Marina dedicated herself to studying the region’s animals and landscape beforehand, so that she could help her daughters describe what they saw. “It was important to call a species by its right name, not only to satisfy the learning process, but also to be able to describe what they would say later to the other children. There would be no ‘cute seal’ or ‘big whale,’” recalls Marina. In the beginning, the girls complained a bit about the extra homework, but the diaries soon became more playful when the three of them started to compete to see who could make the best travel journal.

Amyr, Marininha, and Tamara (standing), Laura and Marina (sitting)

Photo: Anna Quast and Ricky Arruda

Upon their return, when they had to prepare their talk for their classmates, the diaries were essential. The result was so interesting and aroused so much interest among the children that the Klink sisters started giving talks in other schools, which really helped them become less inhibited. “Having a diary is such a rich exercise that it should be mandatory in schools,” says Amyr, an enthusiast of the practice, not only because the logbook is a legal navigation requirement, but also because of the two inspiring experiences he had during his formative years.

The first was during his adolescence, when he visited the home of a classmate’s uncle. The uncle was famed researcher Paulo Nogueira-Neto, a professor at the Bioscience Institute of the University of São Paulo (USP), and environmentalist who was the first chair of the Special Environment Bureau (SEMA is the acronym in Portuguese), the precursor to the Ministry of the Environment. At this admirable man’s home, Amyr saw a room that was completely filled with shelves that had notebooks that all looked the same. “Those are my logs,” explained the professor.

A few years later, during his first trip through Europe as a backpacker, Amyr was on a train that was held up two days for repairs. There were several school groups on it, and to keep the 150 kids occupied productively, the teachers asked them to fill their diaries and share their impressions about what they were seeing and feeling.

When he became a navigator, Amyr drew inspiration from these experiences, and created a type of registry that

included more than merely technical or meteorological issues. That is how he concluded the crossing of the Atlantic with incredibly rich material that would later support the detailed, exciting writing of One Hundred Days Between Sea and Sky.” A diary is not worth anything on the day it is written; rather, it acquires value as time passes. My diaries are the rich heritage I will leave,” he says.

New paths

Amyr is a specialist in overcoming challenges, but the four women in his life also exhibit progressively that they have plenty of courage to face fear and build admirable biographies, each in their own fashion, starting with Marina, who, after three decades of leading a successful events company, decided to give up her business, and dedicate herself professionally to photography, a passion that grew throughout the many trips she took both with and without her husband.

In 2013, Marina released the photography book Antarctica, the Last Frontier, as the initial milestone of this carefully planned transition. After that there were other works: A Nomadic Eye, Head Wind – Beyond the Antarctic Convergence, and Vamos Dar A Volta Ao Mundo (Let’s Go Around the World). Today, her photos are being sold in galleries, and several of her images have been published in magazines that specialize in travel, and have been exhibited at different locations, including a subway station in São Paulo. “It was a fantastic experience. I stood observing the people who stopped to look at the

photos, delighted with such faraway scenarios, and wanting to learn more through the captions,” she describes.

Throughout the pandemic, Marina developed several new interests, such as genealogy. She studied the origins of several of her ancestor’s branches, and produced a book that unraveled her Portuguese, Prussian, French, Italian, and Irish origins. “I discovered another type of trip, one to the past, which allows us to bring people who were forgotten back to life.”

She also delved into physical challenges, such as hiking the Prateleiras (curious rock formations termed “shelves”) of the Agulhas Negras and climbing Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio, all this after turning 50. Thus, she became an active voice against ageism, a topic she has been addressing in her talks. “My life is even better than before. With our daughters all grown-up now, we have freedom. In a certain way, I feel like a teenager, but one with a lot more selfconfidence, self-knowledge, and better finances.”

Inspired by their mother’s and father’s examples, the girls also seek meaning and enjoyment as they pursue their paths. After getting a degree in Business Administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), Marininha (age 23) is in the second semester of medical school at Einstein. The gap between her two specialties was the result of a maturing process. When it was time to take her college entrance exams, she was not sure about what career to pursue. Her father recommended at the time that she choose a course that would provide multidisciplinary training - he himself

Laura Tamara

Marininha

had done something similar by studying economics.

Marininha even worked for two years in finance, and had a well-paying salary, but realized that her dream was really to become a physician, a path that she would have to pioneer on her own, since there were no precedents in the family. “I wanted to have a career where I could help others directly. In finance, even if I were making plenty, I can only imagine that I would not feel very fulfilled going forward.” When examining herself more introspectively, she discovered that she loved running street races. She became a diligent athlete and recorded excellent half-marathon running times. When she debuted in the full marathon, she chose one of the most traditional events in

the country, the Porto Alegre race, and placed in her category for ages 20 to 24.

“I already have my own fears”

The pandemic also brought about major changes to Laura’s life. As a graphic designer with a degree from Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing (ESPM), she was working for a law firm, and started working from home, because of the mandated social isolation. Thus, she discovered that she could live anywhere, and provide services to clients all over the world. She became a freelancer and moved to California, where she is trying out the life of a digital nomad.

“I learned how to deal with distance and homesickness, since everyone in the family is always dedicating himself/ herself to their own projects,” admits Laura. “In spite of this, everyone makes an effort to ensure that we stay connected, each in his/her own way. My dad would tell stories about everything he had seen. Tamara has always liked to call and talk for hours. With my mom and Nina, I exchange messages throughout the day,” describes Laura, who is producing the graphics and illustrations for another one of her mother’s books, Álbum do Pantanal (Pantanal Album). It is a sort of “Brazilian version” of the Férias na Antártica (Vacation in Antarctica) book that the Klink sisters launched in 2010, and that has been used in a large number of public and private schools since then.

In addition to Laura, another daughter who is living away is Tamara. She studied architecture at Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (FAU), University of São Paulo (USP), and was given the opportunity in her senior year to study on a scholarship at the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture in Nantes, France. The institution is a benchmark in the field. Laura loved the experience and stayed there after graduating. She followed up with a post-grad in naval architecture, which became a major interest of hers, promoted early on by her family voyages.

As such, she has been away from Brazil for six years, with no plans to come back, since Europe has the best naval architecture schools and the best vessels in the world. As Tamara herself describes poetically: “My heart will be

in two hemispheres: in the pendulum that is my life, it is increasingly harder to say what course will bring me further or closer to home. I live on the road.”

On a trip to Norway, Tamara bought a used sailboat, which she named Sardinha (sardine), and decided to sail to France with it. When she told her parents what she planned to do, both Amyr and Marina were apprehensive. They argued that she did not have enough experience to face the North Sea, which navigators consider very challenging. “She replied that she already had her own fears, and did not need ours,” recalls her mother.

For those who read One Hundred Days Between Sea and Sky, Tamara’s phrase refers directly to one of the most striking passages in the book, when Amyr describes the fear he felt when he left solid ground in Namibia, Africa, and headed toward the vast ocean that separated him from his planned destination, Bahia, Brazil:

WAS I SCARED? I WAS PALER THAN THE WHITECAPS ON THE WAVES, COMPLETELY PALE WITH FEAR. HOWEVER, WHEN I WAS FINALLY ALONE, ALONE AND ON MY OWN, I SUDDENLY FELT CALM. I HAD TO WORK FAST, LEAVE AFRICA BEHIND, AND THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS DOING. I HAD TO CONQUER MY FEAR, AND THE REAL FEAR, MY BIGGEST FEAR ABOUT THE VOYAGE WAS CONQUERED RIGHT THERE, RIGHT AT THAT SAME INSTANT, AMONG THE DISARRANGED ELEMENTS AND THE MESS OF A SITUATION. IT WAS THE FEAR OF NEVER DEPARTING. UNDOUBTEDLY, IT WAS THE WORST RISK I EVER FACED: NOT DEPARTING

Curriculum of feats

If he had not overcome his fear when he departed, Amyr would have not lived the unforgettable moments described in the book, like his encounters with whales, sharks, and turtles, and he probably would not have delved into the challenges that followed, and that were just as remarkable. On December 31st, 1989, he sailed from Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, to spend over a year on a solo trip to Antarctica. His new boat, the Paratii, which he himself designed and had built, had been prepared to remain “captive” in ice for seven of the coldest months in the region.

Marininha fell in love with running races

Photo: Diogo Brum

Amyr Klink at Marina do Engenho, where he docks his boat(s) in Paraty (RJ)

Photo: Marina Klink

BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES

This is the second time the Klink family is on the Inside Chapel cover. The article you are about to read in the current issue is an update to the one from seven years ago, which had been prompted by the Klinks’ participation in the 2016 Book Fair. It was one of the articles that has rendered the most impact in the history of this publication, which is an evidence of the interest sparked by this family’s trajectory and the messages that it transmits. This interest has certainly increased since then because of the three girls’ coming of age and the various professional activities that each family member holds.

At that Saturday morning event in the crowded auditorium, the Klinks gave the closing speech for the book fair. Those who were there certainly recall that moment, in early spring, with tenderness. Marina was the first to speak about her passion for photography and about her hard work in taking care of the girls while her husband carried out his extraordinary feats. “Mothers are somewhat invisible,

but the truth is that they are behind it all the whole time,” she declared emotionally while receiving the applause and validation of all those who were present - and especially from Amyr.

Right after, the girls stepped up to the microphone. While the large screen showed images of their voyages, Tamara, who was 19 at the time, said that one of the most important things she learned through her experience was that the journey was as important as the destination, and that that was applicable to many other aspects of life - including the academic one. The youngest, Marininha, who was 16, spoke about the importance of the recollection that came from journals, which can also serve as a major life lesson. Laura, Tamara’s twin, recounted that she thought her father’s stories had been made-up until she saw everything through her own eyes.

Amyr, who was the last one to speak, talked about his fulfillment in being at an event like the book fair and highlighted how important it was to

share experiences: “The reward that we currently get from this world, where it makes no sense to own anything, is the experience of sharing,” he stated. Right afterwards, what he did was to really share many of his experiences - which included the fact that he had seen 65 humpback whales that same week aboard Paratii 2, in an area between the states of Espírito Santo and Bahia.

During the moments of mingling right after the talk, Tamara, Laura, and Marininha were approached by kids who wanted autographs and pictures with the three young heroines who had visited so many amazing places. Right next to them, Amyr socialized with moms and dads who had read his books and had encouraged their offspring to do the same. Meanwhile, Marina talked to those who were interested in photography - she had just released her book Olhar Nômade at the Book Fair and was organizing a beautiful exhibition with a few of the images at Chapel.

In 1998, Amyr carried out his first solo voyage around the South Pole. He left from South Georgia Island to navigate in a straight line until reaching this same location, a choice made because it allowed the route to be completed without continental interruptions. Thus, he became a pioneer when he completed the challenge, which had been attempted many times, but not completed until then. On the way, he faced 180 km/h winds, a 400 m wide by 40 m tall iceberg, and a storm that forced him to stay awake for 50 hours. The voyage which lasted 88 days, was recounted in a new book Mar Sem Fim (Endless Sea).

Between 2003 and 2004, he carried out a new circumnavigation voyage, this time with Paratii 2 and four crew members, at a higher latitude than the previous trip. The major objective was to decrease travel time, a goal achieved successfully in 76 days. Going around the world in less than 80 days was especially satisfying for Amyr, because of the well-known adventure novel Around the World in 80 Days by Julius Verne.

In this novel, released in 1873, Phileas Fogg, a boring English gentleman, decides to bet his card playing partners that the recent developments in transportation would allow him to go around the world in this time frame, using a mix of ship and train lines. Both Phileas Fogg and Amyr Klink came out victorious from the challenges they set out for themselves, the major difference

being that Fogg was a fictional character. Just as her father had done years before, when he sailed from the African coast toward Bahia, Tamara did not let fear stop her. In 2020, at 23, she sailed from Norway toward Dunkirk in France. When she arrived, she felt something so strong, so powerful, that she immediately began to plan another challenge: sailing to Brazil on the same sailboat. She carried out the voyage the following year, when she was 24, and became the youngest person to cross the Atlantic alone. She arrived in Recife at the beginning of 2022, and took Sardinha all the way to Paraty, in Rio de Janeiro, the Klink’s nautical headquarters.

What achievement is worth Tamara bought a larger, 35-foot or almost 11-meter-long sailboat, the Sardinha 2 (Sardinha was 26 feet long, or less than eight meters). She is refurbishing it completely for a new and extremely challenging project: spending a year in the Arctic, alone. In Lorient, a French town in the administrative region of Brittany, she devotes herself to the mission of preparing the boat. The boat is docked at the pier in front of the Cite de la Voile museum, on an old World War II submarine base. It became another tourist attraction there. “The work she is doing is essential; she watches over every detail and is getting to know the boat well,” says Amyr, who does not hide his concern

about his daughter’s project. At the same time, it is obvious that he sees much of himself in her.

When he decided to throw himself headfirst into his rowing project across the Atlantic, Amyr had cut ties with his father, a man he defines as having “a complex personality,” and whom he had to distance himself from in order to feel free. “I built the boat on the Baixada Fluminense and hid it from him; he only found out about my crossing when he read about it in the newspaper,” recalls Amyr.

Tamara did something similar by waiting until the last minute to share her plan to cross from Norway to France and, later, her voyage to Brazil. She was not cross at her father but did feel a little resentful by what she sensed was his lack of support. Amyr always made a point of holding back his support for his daughter’s sailing aspirations, including financial support, in order to spare her from the sense that everything could be gotten easily. “She is working on her path alone, and this certainly increases the value of every accomplishment,” says her father.

At a time when they sense the nest emptying out, Amyr and Marina are concerning themselves with strengthening their ties even more. Both of them realize that one of the secrets of their marriage is that neither one has tried to change the other. “I always thought it was extremely positive that we were so different,” says Amyr.

Tamara also became a seafarer Photo: Giovanna Conservanni

Laura tries out the digital nomad life

Photo: Lucas Gallo

Perhaps the biggest obstacle is his timid and introspective temperament, in the face of extroverted Marina, who studied communications and has always related to people in different areas as an essential part of her professional activities.

When they met, Amyr was already a seafarer who had traveled around the world and was determined to keep doing so. He hesitated to get married, because he could not imagine a relationship in which he could reconcile this vital aspect of his life project. Marina showed him throughout the years that it would indeed be possible. If anyone could understand Amyr’s passion for the sea it would be her, also a sailor. The two of them were married in 1996 when Amyr was 40 and Marina 30.

“I was never interested in superficial women. I liked Marina because she was totally independent, pro-active, and communicative. Those are traits that I greatly admire,” says Amyr.

Forever Paraty

For Marina, one of the major lessons learned by the family’s course has been

creating a real meaning for the word “presence,” the ability to live the moment intensely. “Today we see people who are physically close all the time, but who are not really present,” she observes.

With the technological evolution and the ominous presence of screens in children’s daily lives, Marina laments that the enchantment and curiosity about the world do not seem to have the same intensity as before. “Parents are responsible for this; they need to take the initiative to bond. The other day I was flying on a plane, and a boy sitting by the window did not look out of the window a single time, because his eyes were glued to an electronic game. His mother was sitting next to him, but was also hypnotized by her tablet, and did not encourage her son to look out either.”

Amyr was captivated early on by the vastness and diversity of the world. His passion for adventure and interest in geography and languages (there were books of several different origins at his home, one of the positive influences taken from his Lebanese father, Jamil, and his Swedish mother, Asa) led him as a young man in Paraty, to have the calling of welcoming travelers who

showed up, they would call me. I tried to connect everything I read with anything I could understand that these travelers were saying.”

Aside from the talks that he is often requested to make, Amyr is currently focusing activities on his beloved Paraty. One of his projects is to expand the Marina do Engenho (the Mill Marina), with its floating piers, designed according to technology that he brought from overseas, and that he is working to disseminate in Brazil. He is also remodeling the historic building where Júlia da Silva Bruhns (1851-1923) was born. Júlia was the mother of German novelist Thomas Mann, the Nobel Prize winner in literature. Amyr has partnered with investors to build a housing complex with 62 homes that will have high sustainability requirements. “The idea is to use many of the solutions we use in boats,” he reveals.

While life goes on amidst many projects and accomplishments, the Klinks await the next occasion when they will be together again, a feat that depends on how well they can align their schedules. The only certainty there is beforehand is that they will indeed all be there.

Marina Klink shares the experiences she had around the world

Photo: Victor Affaro

By Paula Veneroso

BY CHALLENGES

Jiu-jitsu was not the first martial art in Caio’s life. Before it, there was karate, for many reasons: “Aside from the personal defense issue, there was philosophy, discipline, respect, and ranking, which really impressed me,” recalls the athlete. He was not quite a teenager, and studied at Chapel, where he started at four years old, and was one of the first K3 students, equivalent to the current Pre I. In school, his favorite subject was Physical Education. He helped teachers and was an attentive student, who was serious about sports. “I went to after-school soccer practices and participated in BIG 4 and Little 8 tournaments,” he recounts, remembering the excitement that he felt when singing the Trojans’ chant. “The tune comes to mind. I simply loved the sports events, and even participated in games in other sports, such as basketball and volleyball,” he explains. Whenever Caio could go into the gym, he would be there on the bars, the trampoline, the pommel horse, unaware of time. “I would be in the gym for hours, and that is how I got into martial arts,” he recalls.

Jiu-jitsu encountered Caio in full-fledged adolescence, and for a reason that is very typical of teenagers: “I was chubby and started jiu-jitsu to lose weight and become more self-confident. I was 16,” he discloses. Caio and martial arts were never apart from then on. The Malta family met with changes that forced the young man and his two sisters, Camila and Laura, to leave Chapel. “My dad provided us with a marvelous opportunity, keeping us three kids at Chapel as long as he could. It was a blessing,” he recognizes. Caio transferred to a Brazilian school, but had trouble adapting. He continued evolving during the jiu-jitsu practices, reaching levels that were increasingly more advanced.

A BLACK BELT IN JIU-JITSU, FORMER STUDENT CAIO MALTA RECALLS THE INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCES HE HAD AT CHAPEL AND TALKS ABOUT WHAT INSPIRED HIM TO FORM AN INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION THAT PROMOTES CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR THIS MARTIAL ART IN SEVERAL US STATES AND IN BRAZIL

Photos: Personal archive

Either you go, or you go

Aware that Caio was having a hard time in the Brazilian school, his father Milton encouraged him to go on an exchange program in the United States, where the young man would enroll in a flying course and also finish high school. “My dad called me and said: ‘You either go, or you go, but you can’t go on this way.’ So off I went to cold Wisconsin, to study in a Catholic school and take the course,” he recounts.

Well, his father’s advice worked out. The young man finished high school, and went to Minnesota for college.

At the University of St. Thomas, he majored in Finance with a concentration in Marketing and Accounting, a perfect combination of skills that would benefit his professional career. “Before graduating (from college), I worked in finance, at an investment bank and a brokerage firm in Minneapolis,” he recalls. After finishing college, he went back to Brazil where he stayed for a

few years - especially to stay close to his parents - managing millions in assets for a Brazilian family business with an investment portfolio overseas. He worked a lot, and went back to the US in 2012 for a sabbatical in California: “I had built up a good amount of savings, and wanted some time to discover new professional paths.”

Brazilian jiu-jitsu

“I ended up deciding to open a fitness gym,” says Caio who, at that point, was already a black belt and known in Palmdale, where he resided, for being an excellent fighter. Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s renown was not new to the Americans, and Caio was often requested by the students. “Many would look for me to ask for private lessons. I can assert that jiu-jitsu provided me with emotional and financial support for a good while. Students liked my teaching method a great deal, and it didn’t take long before they suggested that I open my own school,” he admits.

The year of 2012 was memorable: “I started my school and married Christine in the same year. I met her coincidently at the gym while I was training jiujitsu,” he recalls. In the following eight years, the school grew a lot quickly, and became a lucrative business. It was extremely demanding, but also very rewarding. “Jiu-jitsu is good for a lot of kids and adults, and my story has inspired several students. Today, after a decade as a school owner and coach, I see the same changes that I lived through when I was young. Many of the kids that come through here remind me of my childhood, growing up with no parents at home, because they were too consumed by work,” he remarks.

Change of direction

Caio’s school prospered until Coronavirus came. “There’s no jiujitsu with this virus. The pandemic was like switching off a button,” he recounts. This was in 2020. However,

the experience Caio gained with the school inspired him to start a new business, which was organizing jiu-jitsu championships in the US.

“It was also a lifestyle choice. I decided that I wanted to watch my son grow up,” states Caio. Although there was family support - Christine’s parents are very involved - Caio chose to support his wife, who has a degree in public administration, and works at City Hall in Lancaster (CA), where they live, planning expansion projects for the city. “I want Niko, who is now eight, to grow up with his dad close by, and not in a daycare center, and the championships make this possible for me: I take Nikolaz to school, to soccer, to swimming. Everything that my mom used to do for me when I was a kid, I do for my son today. He is my priority,” he recounts, adding: “I help him with his homework, we talk about his day, play ball, take the dog for a walk, and fly kites. He participates in the social events, workshops, and seminars that I organize. He loves it. We are connecting, creating bonds of affection between father and son. I don’t want to regret not having spent time with him.”

Caio says he is blessed by his amazing ability to adapt, and says that, today, he is living what he learned throughout his life, and especially at school. “I am one of those people who chases after their goals,” he points out.

International jiu-jitsu federation

In the midst of the pandemic, Caio Malta created Brave, an international federation that promotes jiu-jitsu championships for children aged 4 to 15, and whose goal is to promote physical and mental child development by training and education in sports. According to him, although jiu-jitsu is widespread, there are not many tournaments, which are usually sponsored by private enterprise.

Brave was started to fill this gap, and is being developed to serve as an occasion when kids can do jiu-jitsu and then play. “It is a playful way to practice the sport,” Caio explains. Its model was the circus, and it is based in California, but the championships, which last a day, can take place in other states. In a recurring one, in Las Vegas, 300 kids participated based on their belt, weight, and age. “There are

TEACHERS WHO CARE

calculations and more calculations to be made, a situation in which I am thankful for having persisted and learned math,” says the organizer playfully.

What jiu-jitsu offers kids, in Caio’s opinion, is very positive: “It prevents bullying, fosters camaraderie, the strongest protect the weakest; behaviors change, even in the classroom, because they learn how to defend themselves and their friends,” he states. Furthermore, at the end of each tournament, the jiu-jitsu championships organized by Brave offer a charitable campaign at the institution that hosts the event for entities that serve the underprivileged population.

Brave is doing well, and Caio plans on expanding to other countries, such as Brazil, of course, for obvious reasons: at the beginning of this year, he spent three months here to be close to the family. At the time, he had the opportunity to revisit Chapel during its International Festival. On that day, the memories came back full-force, and Caio once more saw himself as a happy boy at the school that gave him the fundamentals for being an innovator in the world.

Nikolaz was born in 2015. He is Christine and Caio Malta’s son, and recently turned eight. “Niko is a major blessing in our lives,” says Caio, as he takes advantage to draw a parallel between the education he received at Chapel and that which he is providing his son: “Now that I am a dad and am concerned about my son’s studies, I see the likeness between the education I received at Chapel and the one my son is getting at his school in California. It is also an amazing Christian school like Chapel, where much dedication is given to learning. Just like Chapel, it is a school based on faith, which cultivates values that matter to the heart, where teachers care. I see this as one of the most important things in my life. There are relationships from Chapel that I have kept to this day. I was lucky to go to the International Festival this year to meet old classmates and employees like Cida, who is still at the school. It was wonderful!”

“I LOVED THE SPORTING EVENTS AT CHAPEL, I REMEMBER THE EXCITEMENT WHEN SINGING THE TROJANS’ CHANT”

“CREATING BRAVE WAS ALSO A LIFE DECISION. I DON’T WANT TO REGRET NOT HAVING SPENT TIME WITH MY SON”

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By Sanda Lawisch

BONDING WITH PARENTS: THE BASIS FOR DEVELOPING EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE

Photos: Personal archive

Whenever I address the topic of bonding between parents and children, I like to use the opportunity to reflect:

Have you ever asked yourself how you would like to be remembered in 20, 30, or 40 years? When your child talks about his/her bond with his/her parents, maybe in a gathering with friends, or in a therapy session, what would he/she say? “My father was (...); I remember him clearly (...),” or maybe, “My mother and I always used to (...); I have so many memories of (...).”

The bond that a child forms with his/ her parents can become one of the cornerstones of emotional resilience in adult life. Positive childhood memories have the power to sustain, strengthen, and soothe us. What are the first memories that come to your mind when you describe your parents’ presence in your childhood? How does your childhood influence your parenting?

I would like to invite you to reflect on these questions without judging or feeling guilty. Having a long-term perspective helps us be clearer about what is actually important to you and

your child. When you think back to what has “stuck” with you from your own childhood, you will discover what you “must” do to strengthen your bond with your child.

Aside from having benefits in adult life, a strong bond between child and parents also has a positive impact on the child’s day-to-day life. When children use behaviors that are irritating, aggressive, or that draw attention, we can detect their need to be seen and feel important in their parents’ eyes. I always tell my patients that what we consider to be “poor behavior” is the most efficient way for a child to grab an adult’s attention. If the child is playing in a calm and organized manner, doing his/her homework, or behaving lovingly toward siblings or friends, we will rarely interrupt our activities to pay attention to them. However, if they are throwing toys on the floor, hitting a sibling, or ignoring their schoolwork, they force us to give them our full attention immediately. I often hear the following reaction: ‘But a child receives a different type of attention in these two different scenarios, i.e., when he/she behaves

badly, he/she receives negative attention (sometimes a lecture, or maybe a punishment). That is true, but we need to understand that, to a child, any kind of attention, even a negative one, is better than no attention at all.

With all of this in mind, I would like to propose a daily activity. If you practice this tool, you will be able to strengthen the bond with your child, as well as decrease “poor behaviors” that call out for attention. Aside from being a very efficient tool, it is also very easy to practice: dedicate 5-10 minutes of special attention to your child every day.

“But, Sanda, I already spend more time than that with my child.”

Yes, by preparing breakfast, doing homework, taking him/her to the park, giving him/her a bath or brushing teeth, you certainly spend more than 10 minutes with your child. These moments are important, but special attention time is different.

First, imagine for a second how the child would feel hearing this every day: “Son/daughter, now is our special moment, just you and me. What do you want to do?” Also imagine what

the impact of this daily ritual would be through the years, and what it would be like for your child to recount as an adult: “Despite our busy routine, my parents always made me feel special. I could always count on their full attention for a few moments in the day.”

Another noteworthy difference in this special moment is for the child to feel in command of the activity. He/she chooses what he wants to play, do, or read with the parent. The child has very few opportunities throughout the day to be independent and in control, especially during early childhood. At the special moment, he/ she can pursue this need positively. Additionally, parents can create a special opportunity to find out more about the interests, preferences, skills, and development of their child in specific areas.

In my office, it is not uncommon for me to see parents who have a hard time playing with kids, sometimes simply because they didn’t have this opportunity when they were young. The benefit of allowing the child to be in control of the activity is that he/she

will show you how to play, what to do, and how to speak. The fact that this together time is limited and relatively short, 5-10 minutes, makes it easier to put it into practice.

In my experience, the special moment becomes much more beneficial, even for the parents, who ultimately feel more confident about playing with the child and getting closer to him/her. This moment helps diminish feelings of guilt from not having spent enough time with the child, and sometimes permissiveness can grow out of feelings of guilt.

This special moment is equally beneficial for pre-teens and teenagers. A strong bond and constant, wellestablished communication diminish the parents’ feeling of insecurity and fear. It is quite common at this stage for parents to tell me: “I feel I don’t know whom my child is anymore; I need to look at his/her cell phone to know what is happening in his/her life, because he/she doesn’t tell me anything.”

If you are beginning a “special moment” with an older child, it could be awkward at the beginning. He/ she could be questioning you about

your intentions, or simply becoming indifferent. Keep calm and explain that you just want to spend a few moments in his/her company. Do not ask questions nor demand their attention or interaction. Say something like this: “Son/daughter, I would like to spend a few minutes in your company. I will sit here in silence. Should you want to do something together, I am here.” As the days go by, even mistrusting teenagers will “soften up.” The special moment gradually becomes an opportunity to share small day-to-day things, which narrow the gap that sometimes occurs between parents and children.

I could address the topic of parentchild bond using a cake recipe format, but the truth is that every family has a different culture, values, and interests. There is nothing more powerful than allocating a few minutes in the day to explore the uniqueness of each parent and child. Remember that there is no right way to play, spend time together, or build memories. Simply create the space, let the child be in control, and watch the magic of the “special moment” take place.

Ask for your child’s opinion before going straight to solving a problem.

When your child tells you about something that happened at school, instead of saying: “Wow, that’s terrible. I am going to get in touch with the teacher and see how this happened!” say, “It seems that this has upset you. How can I help you solve this?”

Sometimes, moved by the desire to protect the child, we “run them over” by trying to solve everything. There is no one better to point out the right solution than the child who faced the uncomfortable situation. Remember that sometimes a child is simply sharing something to vent; respect this need, in case he/she does not want you to intervene in the situation.

Create

When the child tries to do something difficult, instead of saying: “You are still too young; I don’t think you can do it; let me do it!” say, “We have to practice this. I’ll show you how to do it, and afterwards you can practice until you get it.”

Instead of repeating the same information more than once (tiring for both parties), pose a question to the child.

When the child insists on doing something different from what was agreed, instead of saying: “Son/daughter, I am tired of telling you that if you don’t do your homework, you won’t be able to use the cell phone!” say, “What is it that you have to do before you can use the cell phone?” Engage

When adults are talking in a circle of acquaintances about topics that they think the child does not understand, instead of saying: “This is not for children; you don’t understand what economics is yet; go play!” say, “Child, what do you think about this?”

In the beginning, the children’s answers will be very immature, but with practice he/she will learn to pay attention and develop suitable responses. Engage the child in day-to-day topics, asking him/her for their opinion at certain moments, such as during family meals, to keep him/her from feeling left out.

Instead of saying: “I didn’t want to yell at you, but you irritated me!” say, “I lost my patience and screamed at you. Sorry. I will try to control myself better in the future.”

Avoid blaming the child for losing your control. No matter how inadequate his/her behavior may be at that time, you are the one who is in control of your behavior. Hold yourself to the same standard of expectations that you hold your child. First, be an example of self-control and responsibility for your own mistakes. Be an example of how to act after making a mistake.

When you lose or make a mistake, set an example of responsibility, own up to your mistake, and apologize.

SPOTLIGHT

CHAPEL RESUMES FIELD TRIPS TO STUDY THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT

In line with the teaching units, hence indispensable for building knowledge, field trips and sustainable development have come back full strength this past school year. Following safety protocols, school coordinators carried out technical visits to all destinations beforehand, preparing activities and ensuring that

students would have

the best experience. From early childhood learning through high school, Chapel students and teachers have been able not only to add learning to the curriculum, but also to bond and learn together in unforgettable outings. Check out below what trips Chapel made this past year.

Early childhood learning: having fun on day trips while learning

In March of this year, the little ones from Pre I spent the morning at Fazendinha Estação Natureza, one of the first educational rural parks in Brazil, in the Ipiranga neighborhood of São Paulo State’s same name capital city. Here, students participated in the Experiência Rural (Country Experience) Program, which provides experiences and learning as visitors view animals on the farm, get to know the plants, feed the

animals, ride horses, and have a farmstyle breakfast. According to the Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) coordinator, Emanoelli do Valle, “the outing is aligned with two study units: Let’s Go Plants, where students learn about how to take care of plants, especially how to plant, care for, and grow them, and Discover the Farm, where they study farm animals, get to know their traits, and the routine on a farm, as well as who takes care of the farm.

The Pre II students had the opportunity to visit the Insect Museum in November 2022, at the Biological Institute, which is close to the Vila Mariana neighborhood in São Paulo. Approved by IBAMA and São Paulo’s Environmental Agency, the educational area of the museum has a permanent exhibition called Insect Planet, which offers an interactive visit, showing the history, the evolution, and the importance of these invertebrates. In line with the Bugs Study Unit, Ms. Valle explains that “the goal is to demystify insects, so that kids can get closer to them, and not be afraid. The exhibit features a tour in seven different rooms, where students can touch insects such as beetles and stick-bugs, observe different types of butterflies, learn about the routine of an ant pile and about

bees, and even watch silkworms produce silk thread.”

In November 2022, the Kindergarten classes also had the opportunity to visit an exhibition called “Patagotitan Dinosaurs, the Biggest in the World,” which was running in São Paulo right at the time the students were learning about this study unit in school. The exhibition covered several spaces showing the history of these reptiles, the types that populated the Earth, their different sizes, what they ate, as well as other fun facts. What is interesting, according to Ms. Valle, is that “everything the students learned in school could be seen at the exhibit, which included real size replicas.” The outing started in the morning, and students came back to school in time for lunch.

Elementary School: learning to safeguard fauna and flora

The 1st grade students had two outings during the school year. At the end of 2022, they got to know Viveiro Sabor de Fazenda, in the northern region of the city of São Paulo, which hosts hundreds of species of herb seedlings, medicinal plants, and organic spices. In addition to learning about the benefits promoted by plants, the children examined the steps of an organic composting process and understood why cultivating earthworms is important. According to coordinator Cristiana Cavalcanti, the children followed the development of plantations through mini gardens, learned about composting, earthworms, and three-banded armadillos, by getting their hands dirty handling the soil and planting.

In April of this year, students went to ZooFoz, a social project that uses environmental education and zoo therapy to

work with special needs children. The environmental education project put them in direct contact with some of the over 100 animals that live on the site. Most of the animals come from commercial breeders certified by IBAMA and will not be reintroduced into nature. The goal of this outing was to foster the close contact of students with animals, and ultimately promote a healthy relationship between them.

Second grade students also had two outings during the school year. The first was in November to Viveiro Sabor de Fazenda -- usually a 1st grade outing, but it was missed then because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The second was to Sítio do Carroção, in the town of Tatuí, state of São Paulo, as a day trip that took place in May. Carroção has several educational activities that provide discovery and entertainment, one being the largest open-air aquarium in Latin America. Chapel’s plan is for the children to eventually spend the day at Carroção when they are in 2nd grade, so that they can have a longer outing and spend a night there when they are in in 3rd grade.

Toca da Raposa was the location chosen for 3rd grade students to spend a day in November. The park, in the town of Juquitiba (SP state), develops educational programs geared towards safeguarding and preserving fauna and flora. Highlighting social and environmental responsibility through play activities, the outing is designed to have students participate in nature activities, become acquainted with a few specimens, and gain awareness about animal trafficking.

In June, the students visited Sítio do Carroção, an educational resort where they spent the night. Many adventures awaited them there, some with trails, and some with several attractions along the way, such as an airplane

in the middle of the forest, and a cave with an underground pool.

Since the pandemic put off the trips for the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades in the previous years, the students were compensated with a day trip to Sítio do Carroção in December 2022. This was a warm-up for the experiences and entertainment that eventually took place in June of this year at Rep Lago, an educational resort in Leme, state of São Paulo, where students spent two days. The spot features nature conservation, and provided a team of counselors, who afforded amazing activities. Chapel students spent a good deal of time interacting in groups and performing activities that prioritized social-emotional aspects. The resort offered a diversified program, in which Chapel students could choose what activities they wanted to participate in, and allowed students to take part in collaborative workshops, while still leaving time for leisure activities and socializing.

High School: Educational Trips to Study Sustainable Development

The Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) field trips coordinated by teacher Luciana Brandespim for Chapel’s High School students keep the curriculum strongly tied to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) proposed by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The Águias da Serra camp, located in the Ecotourism Cluster in the southern region of the city of São Paulo, was the destination of the 7th grade students. The program included several fields of knowledge, with an emphasis on group activities. Focusing on pillars such as health, as well as physical and mental well-being, teacher-leader Jean Silva coordinated three major activities for the whole group. The first one took place in the butterfly garden, which exhibits these insects in all stages of development. As explained by Mr. Silva, “In addition to investigating the scientific subject matter, students drew an analogy between the developmental stages of butterflies and pre-teens. There was also an activity in Portuguese where they wrote Haikaiss songs using butterflies as a theme, thus creating a moment in which they could express themselves artistically.” Another activity was developed in a plant and vegetation maze, where students could try their hand at roaming freely, or use maps that they had plotted with the math teacher. To conclude the experience, there was a “Master Chef Challenge,” where students were taken to the forest and had to use survival techniques, like how to set up a shelter, light a fire, and prepare a meal. “The challenge faced by the students in a safe environment contributed substantially toward their emotional development. Mostly, this was an opportunity for them to forge bonds out of the classroom,” cheered the teacher.

Rota da Imigração (immigration route) was the chosen destination for the 9th grade field trip, led by teacher Érico Padilha. In Limeira, in São Paulo State, the focus was on studying the coffee cycle, immigration, and railroads, whose establishment and development are closely tied to coffee production. Students visited rural properties that have existed since imperial times, and were able to have a

sensory experience, as they went through all the stages of the plantation and production. “They were immersed in a new learning experience, saw a rural property structure, became acquainted with the senzalas (the dwellings of black servants), the history of the landowners, and their contribution to the local economy. In Piracicaba, in the neighborhoods on the outskirts of Nova Olímpia and Santana, students learned a little about the traditions that belong to a community founded by Tyrolean settlers at the end of the 19th century,” recounts Mr. Padilha. The 10th grade students traveled to the town of Extrema, in the Mantiqueira Mountain Range, on the border between Minas Gerais and São Paulo states, where they spent three days. The large number of water springs and small streams is extremely important to secure water safety for the entire metropolitan area of São Paulo, since they feed the Cantareira reservoir system, the largest water source for the capital city of São Paulo. On the first day, led by teacher Erick Santana, some students hiked up Serra do Lobo to get to know the water cycle, from atop the region’s tallest mountain. There, they gathered samples and measured pH and oxygenation rates. On the following day, in the rural area of Extrema, students visited the Parque Conservador das Águas (water conservatory park), which is funded by the University of São Paulo and other federal universities in partnership with government agencies and hosts a reforestation project for the Atlantic tropical forest. “Thousands of seedlings that have already reforested thousands of hectares are produced there. The project maintains the river supply,” explains Mr. Santana. At the end, the students visited family farms in the environmental protection area, which belong to the spring water protection project, whose goal is to safeguard the springs. Students learned to plant bananas and vegetables and talked to farmers about sustainable farming. On the last day, they set up a scale model for the region’s water basins, putting into practice what they had learned on the trip, and taking what they learned back to school.

In the town of Bragança Paulista, in São Paulo State, 11th grade students spent three days visiting sustainable farms and an art gallery. The program was led by teacher Carolina Martins, and started at Fazenda Atalaia, where cheese is produced sustainably starting from the raising of dairy cattle to the final product. “Animal feed is produced sustainably, and even the farm’s furniture is made in the farm’s own carpenter’s shop,” explains Ms. Martins, adding that: “Aside from getting to know the farm’s structure, students participated in workshops for making pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese rolls) and knotted cheese, and for building taipa structures (mud huts).” On the second day, they visited Fazenda Serrinha, an old coffee farm that had been reforested by its owners, who currently practice agroecology using agroforestry (a system that reconciles food production with the recovery of a degraded area), making the farm a model for sustainability. Students worked on the vegetable garden, visited the reservoir, and took part in artistic production activities using elements from nature. On the third day, the students took part in photography workshops at the Casa Lebre Art Gallery, where they exhibited their work to the group at the end of the activity.

AMISA 2023: CHAPEL TEACHERS SHARE THEIR SUCCESSFUL ACTIVITIES

At the last AMISA (American International Schools in the Americas) conference, which took place in March in Guatemala, Chapel stood out once more through its teachers, who presented successful programs to their peers in the Americas.

Throughout the four-day conference, five of the school’s teachers presented their teaching practices, and won over the audience by sharing project ideas that could have an impact on other schools.

“Co-creating writing workshops conducted by students can help create a voice, a meaning, and a purpose”

In this presentation, teacher Maxine Rendtorff shared some of the practices that have been recommended to promote distinguished learning skills for high school writing. Her presentation was based on learning systems and strategies to train students how to map out their interests, goals, and skills throughout the writing process.

Participants in her workshop proved very engaged, asking questions, clarifying doubts, and asking whether they could contact the teacher to further their discussion. Ultimately,

the feedback was very exciting. “Many teachers came to me and said that they would try to use my strategies in their classrooms, and thanked me for paving the way, so that students could become the key players in their own writing journeys,” commented the teacher.

Her statement about the experience is revealing:

“Participating in this conference was very important for me as a teacher; it was like a breath of fresh air for learning new ideas, strategies, and recommended practices that I can use in my classes. I also met many amazing professionals with whom I have kept in touch to form study groups and exchange more ideas and good practices. It made me reflect on my own practices, and what I am doing right, but also what I can improve on in order to become even better.”

“Learning Innovation Beyond Maker Space - A Successful Implementation in Elementary and Middle School”

In their presentation, teachers Karina Wenda and Otávio Garcia showed that teaching has changed radically from the 1960s to now, and that by implementing the Programa Inovação de Aprendizagem do Ensino Fundamental (Learning

Innovation Program for Middle and Elementary School), Chapel has offered its students an in-depth, engaging, and long-lasting learning experience. In the workshop, participants wanted to understand Chapel’s Learning Innovation Program success story for Elementary and Middle School. They involved themselves in the practical activities and left the session ready to use the materials and activities, pleased that they had the opportunity of putting theories into practice through the workshop activities.

The teachers were proud to have been chosen to represent Chapel in an international conference with so many important workshops. “At AMISA, we were the benchmark in innovation for Elementary and Middle School. We were moved to learn that Chapel is on the right road and is keeping up with the most current trends in learning innovation,” stated teacher Otávio Garcia.

“Promoting creativity in the first years”

The presentation made by teachers Emanuela Santo and Marianna Zambrini addressed sharing what has been done at Chapel School to promote and encourage creativity in children, in their early childhood years. Under the title Fomentando a Criatividade nos Anos Iniciais (fostering creativity in the early childhood years), they presented to other teachers a few strategies that they used in their adaptation process with the aim of teaching and changing activities and surroundings to ultimately maximize the

learning process, by using a routine that encourages students to be creative throughout the school day. “We presented ways we have used to offer students choices, to make them feel heard and give them a primary role in their learning and development,” explains Ms. Zambrini.

Teacher Emanuela Santo recounts that the presentation had close to 40 participants, mostly early childhood teachers, who were very open to the ideas presented. “This helped me see that we are on the right road, because we have created a space where students’ voices and choices toward their learning process can be heard and manifested. This is also in line with the NEASC learning principles,” states the teacher. She recounts that participating in the conference inspired her to keep honing her teaching skills, and go on studying, researching, and providing students with the best possible education.

Ms. Zambrini admits that participating in the AMISA EDCON 2023 was a great experience and a major growth opportunity professionally, adding that this is “because one of my supervising, assessment, and professional development goals has been to research, observe, experiment, share, and collaborate. I gained a great deal of knowledge along the way, and many insights, which I will take with me for as long as I can. I will also start to use them in my classroom routine and practices as a teacher.” Additionally, teachers confirmed that they are on the right road toward building a challenging, compelling, and safe environment to make students feel at ease to learn by exploring and having fun.

CHAPEL WINS AWARDS AND A TROPHY FOR BEST DELEGATION AT BRAMUN 2023

Chapel’s Model United Nations (MUN) Club shined bright this past school year. Under Mr. Brian Manning’s guidance, the school’s debate club achieved excellence in the in-school and out-of-school conferences it took part in. The plaudits peaked in Bahia, in March, when the school was given the Best Delegation Award at BRAMUN 2023. “Although other schools have larger clubs than ours, we always do well in conferences and win several awards. I think it was proof of the strong senior leadership that we had last year,” acclaims Mr. Manning, adding: “ This year’s highlight was the trip to Bahia for BRAMUN. I was very proud of the professionalism and creativity shown by the students, and we were fortunate to return with the Best Delegation Award. It was the ‘icing on the cake’ of a very fun year for the club!”

The MUN Club seeks to promote awareness on global issues by simulating the United Nations and similar international organizations. At Chapel, students gather throughout the year, every Friday after class, to practice debating controversial issues, carry out surveys on current political events, hold dialogues, and write dissertations. Chapel organized two semesters of CHAMUN, an internal conference during which students discussed and debated several topics: in the first semester, the topic was “Illegal Global Arms Trade,” and in the second, “The Growing Tension between China and Taiwan.”

The highlight of the year took place at the BRAMUN event, when students were housed at the Costa do Sauípe Resort. Once again, Chapel students received individual awards. Toni Serres won Best Delegate for his participation in the War

against Artificial Intelligence Committee; Martin Castellanos and Gabriel Lins won Most Distinguished Delegates for their work in the Human Rights Committee; and Lorenzo Perrotti and Gabriel Fernandes won the Most Distinguished Delegates Award for their work in the Historic Security Council. “I have always believed that the MUN, in essence, is about debate. Researching and preparing resolutions is important, but, at the end of the day, what makes you stand out as a delegate is your ability to negotiate and convince others to support your proposals,” states Martin Castellanos. He discloses how he prepared himself: “My co-delegate Gabriel—whom I share the award with—and I spent three days at BRAMUN, discussing and forming political alliances to defend our country’s interests.”

To win the Best Delegation award at BRAMUN, Chapel had to beat 15 other schools. According to Mr. Manning, the criteria included participation by members, a position paper, and delivery of a speech, among others. Martin Castellanos, the student who acted as the club’s president this past school year, left this important message for prospective new participants: “I saw new members join the club and become fantastic delegates, who are not afraid of making their ideas heard. They’re the ones who made this a special year, and ultimately helped us win this award. Playing a role in this award fills me with sheer joy. I am confident that the future MUN generations will not only match this accomplishment but will go beyond what we have achieved thus far.” Go Chapel!

SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS CREATE THE SHARK TANK PROJECT

Under the guidance of teachers Filip Stoops and Mehir Desai, Chapel’s 6th grade students participated in the Shark Tank Project last semester. It has been a part of the 6th grade curriculum for a few years and has become one of the highlights of the school year.

Students are organized into groups and encouraged to develop a profitable idea for a mind-boggling, creative, and original presentation worthy of convincing the teachers who are members of Chapel’s Investment Group to contribute one million dollars to their idea. According to Mr. Stoops, students apply the skills they have acquired throughout the year to the task. “To do so, they need to think outside the box to formulate ideas that make money, think up related problems to resolve, explain why the investment would be good, and analyze it under several perspectives, thus promoting their product in a creative and convincing manner, and eventually prepare a presentation and possibly a sample product,” explains the teacher.

Students can also engage in interdisciplinary activities, showing their mastery of math skills - determining profit percentages and showing growth projections, among others - science, the Innovation Hub , and ELA - the acronym for English Language Arts, encompassing Reading (researching and understanding the underlying problem they are trying to solve), Writing (creating a concise presentation with a captivating and pleasing message), Speaking (making a presentation to the entire class and a few teachers who will critique their proposals), and Listening (responding to the critiques and engaging in a rebuttal to win over the doubters).

The gains from this activity do not stop here. According to Mr. Stoops, Shark Tank also offers them a sample of what some of the high school IB goals will require of them, more specifically, finding an example to improve life (or parts of it) for a specific portion (or all) of the human population. Among the projects that won, those that stand out are the soccer cleat with three types of different soles - for social use, futsal, and grass; a Cool Chair, a beach chair with an amazing solar panel that stores energy to activate a device that cools the body; a Smart Board that writes what the teacher says; and BloodGuard, a futuristic pill that safeguards human blood from harmful mosquito bites. According to Mr. Desai, this project revealed that students have fantastic skills: “We could see future entrepreneurs, who are capable of creating projects that will have a positive impact on the world in the future.” To Mr. Stoops, “it was interesting to see that the skills students gained could be used in this project, and climax with the sum of strategies learned and the expertise acquired throughout the year. It made me feel very proud to see them execute their ideas with propriety and know-how.”

SECOND GRADE PRESENTS READING STRATEGY IN FAIR

Last semester, the Reading Fair Project was created for the Elementary School’s 2nd grade classes. It presented the students’ development in reading comprehension and fluency to parents. Developed by teachers Amanda Manea and Andrea Campos, who provide reading support, the project lasted six weeks. It started off by presenting a few books to students, chosen according to what they like to read, and what they had read in class.

From there on, teachers posed this question: “What strategies or resources would you use to explain a book to your parents?” Then, the students were paired up, and began to think about strategies that they could use to show their families the story for the book they had chosen. “The idea for the project came from our wish to spread the love of reading to our students. We wanted them to have fun, and love the entire reading and comprehension process, and not view the activity simply as homework,” comments Ms. Manea. The proposition was successful, and students engaged and worked independently, with their teachers’ guidance.

Throughout the process, the classes worked on their book topics, the setting or story context, the plot, the beginning, the middle, and the end of the narrative, and on identifying the characters. To do so, teachers used a Venn diagram to

show such concepts as similarities and differences between the characters. The idea behind the diagram was to show sets graphically, by placing elements within them. By understanding set operations, such as intersection and union, the concept of graphic representations becomes much more intuitive. According to Ms. Campos, students had plenty of autonomy to carry out this project: “In all classes, they really engaged themselves even before the project was presented, and we didn’t even have to ask them to focus, because they were already quite engrossed in the activity.” At the fair, students positioned themselves in their stands, and used charts and posters with graphic resources to present the stories to their families. Cards with questions were made available for visitors to ask students. “They were very proud of what they had produced.

In mid-May, students presented the results to 1st graders. It was a very special moment,” asserts Ms. Manea. Her colleague Ms. Campos celebrated the project results adding: “Throughout this project, we were able to assess how much students absorbed the subject matter given throughout the year. We spent nine months presenting strategies to them, and, at the end, they proved that they had assimilated the knowledge.”

TALENTS & PASSIONS

In this Inside Chapel issue, you will get to know the hobbies and out-of-classroom talents for seven students and two teachers. Clubs, sports, music, dance, arts, and theater are among the favorite activities of this industrious group.

Ever since the 1st grade, Lucca Karam has quickly adapted to Chapel school, where he enjoys learning, likes the teachers, plays with friends, and plays soccer during recess. Lucca is currently in the 7th grade and has stood out in the student committee of ABRACE - a program adopted by Chapel to prevent and fight against bullying. At 12, the almost teen displays talent to lead groups positively, and was complemented by the teachers for his performance at last year’s Children’s Day. “On Children’s Day, we split up into small groups to play games with the younger children. I did really well explaining how to play the games,” he reveals.

Lucca is an active participant in ABRACE’s student committee, together with peers and teachers. Here, they create activities that seek to improve the emotional atmosphere among students. “We want to offer activities that bring people together, such as activities in which the shier ones can feel at ease talking to others, and broadening their group of friends at school,” he explains.

A sports supporter, Lucca plays volleyball at school twice a week, and works out with a personal trainer at home. At Clube Monte Líbano, he plays soccer on Tuesdays, and tennis on Thursdays. “My routine is busy, but I like it that way. I used to be in the cooking club before, but I switched to volleyball to be close to my friends,” he recounts.

“What I like the most about Chapel are my friends. There are six of us and we are always together,” says the student, who enjoys playing videogames with his friends from school, of course, during his free time. If there is no one online who wants to play the game, Lucca watches a soccer match, preferably one with São Paulo or Manchester City, his beloved teams.

“WE WANT TO OFFER ACTIVITIES THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, SUCH AS ACTIVITIES IN WHICH THE SHIER ONES CAN FEEL AT EASE TALKING TO OTHERS”

HOME”

DANCE, SPORTS, AND SOCIAL PROJECTS

At 13, Luiza Zaher, stays active by practicing several sports activities in and out of school. One of her passions is ballet, which she has been doing since she was five years old, and which she holds very dear. At the start of the year, she had to stop taking classes at the Sírio Libanês Club because of a schedule conflict, but has plans on resuming them as soon as she can. When she is not attending 8th grade classes, the young teen goes to the Monte Líbano Club, where she plays tennis and swims. “Swimming was my first sport; I have been swimming since I was very young. I also did Muay Thai for a few months and enjoyed the experience,” she recounts. Tennis, in turn, allows Luiza to meet up with three friends, an encounter which brings her joy.

Luiza has been at Chapel since Pre I and feels at home there. “It’s a school that I like very much. I have been studying here since I was very young, I have always had many friends. I really like the space at Chapel, the green areas, the teachers, and my friends. I feel at home here; it’s my home,” she points out. It was at school that Luiza learned other sports, including outdoor and indoor soccer, and belongs to the cheerleading team that does presentations at sporting events. “What I like the most at Chapel are the friendships, some which I’ve had since Pre I, which is why I feel secure and comfortable here,” she relishes. Whenever possible, the young teen accompanies her father to the Lar Sírio social project, which is a place that takes in underprivileged children and provides several courses including ballet, arts, workshops, and music. “At the end of the year, the kids do a musical presentation, and I love honoring them, because some do ballet, and can relate to me,” discloses the student who plans to keep in touch with kids from the social project for as long as she can.

“I REALLY LIKE THE SPACE AT CHAPEL, THE GREEN AREAS, THE TEACHERS, AND MY FRIENDS. I FEEL AT HOME HERE; IT IS MY

Born in India, Vibha was a just few months old when she and her family moved to Brazil and stayed for a few months before heading to Argentina, where they lived for five years. Afterwards, they moved to the Dominican Republic, and in 2021, came back to Brazil so that Vibha could have a world-class high school experience, and be able to get into a good university. “I also consider myself an Indo-Latin, because I was born in India, but grew up in Latin America,” jokes the 14-year-old who is proud to know so many places and speak English and Spanish, as well as Portuguese and Telugu, one of the 22 official languages in India. “Together with my family, I have already gotten to know nine countries. We are a global family, and really enjoy traveling,” adds the 9th grade student.

A pianist who specializes in classical music, Vibha often says that piano found her, and not the other way around. “Eight years ago, we moved to a house that had a piano, and I began to explore the instrument.” Since then, she has been taking classes in music conservatories, practicing every day for at least an hour, and turning to music whenever she can. “Piano calms me down when I am stressed. I love quick pieces that have some meaning, so Mozart delights me, but I cover all genres, even pop,” she recounts. At Chapel, Vibha, often plays during mass and on Casual Friday. When she lived in the Dominican Republic, the young teen performed several times on national radio.

At Chapel since 7th grade, Vibha loves the school clubs: she is a member of the Drama Club, NJHS, Stuco, STEAM, and MUN. In the last one, she was awarded the prize for best delegate in a recent conference at St. Nicholas School. Another award she received recently was at the Fifth Literary Event for English Fiction at Chapel. In sports, Vibha has practiced karate for four years and is currently on the JV basketball team at Chapel. “I really like the feeling of scoring, but this sport has mostly helped me build teamwork, and never give up,” she assesses.

“TOGETHER WITH MY FAMILY, I HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN TO KNOW NINE COUNTRIES. WE ARE A GLOBAL FAMILY, AND REALLY ENJOY TRAVELING”

BRAZILIAN NATIONAL TCHOUKBALL TEAM

Marina Moura loves the school atmosphere. Aside from having an excellent academic performance, the 10th grader is highly dedicated to sports. She has been studying at Chapel since the 1st grade and plays basketball and volleyball. “The basketball team at school is so cool that it has motivated me to commit more to improving my game. I am currently the team captain, and last year we placed second in the São Paulo State League, and third in the Little 8,” she recounts. In volleyball, she is the setter for the JV and Varsity teams and was in the final for the State League. “My father is a physical education teacher and practices with me at home,” explains the 15-year-old, who also practices a not so well-known sport: tchoukball.

Her father is a tchoukball enthusiast and player and took her since she was very young to team practices that he set up, called Tekokatu. Marina was seven when she started to play, and today she is a member of the M18 Brazilian National Tchoukball Team. She participated in the team in the PanAmerican championships in 2022. Before that, she was in the Brazilian co-ed team (M12), that played in the Pan-American games in Argentina in 2018. “We came in second, by winning the last game in the turnaround,” she cheers.

At Chapel, in addition to sports, Marina is a member of the Glee Club and the Drama Club. “There are only cool people in the choir. Every last Friday of the month, we perform in the high school library,” she recounts, adding: “In drama, I have been in the Spelling Bee Musical, and we did two performances at Chapel in the month of April.”

Marina really likes the school, especially the teachers and her friends, many whom she has known since 1st grade: “The teachers are wonderful. My best memories are of arriving at school really early and waiting in my mom’s classroom, who is an Elementary School teacher at Chapel, until it was time for classes to start,” she concludes.

“MY BEST MEMORIES ARE OF ARRIVING AT SCHOOL REALLY EARLY, AND WAITING IN MY MOM’S CLASSROOM, WHO IS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER AT CHAPEL”

For Eduarda Gervazoni, painting is a enjoyable activity that counts as a hobby. She started very young, painting with gouache, before her father gave her a painting kit. With time, she improved her brushstrokes, and discovered new techniques. Today, after recently turning 16, the 11th grader likes to paint landscapes and animals.

At Chapel since Pre I, she admits that she attended, because the family identified itself with the school’s environment, curriculum, and religiousness. The young woman knows everyone: “I really like the people, and have an excellent relationship with teachers and students,” she recounts. As a member of Chapel’s NHS honors club, Eduarda belongs to a project that is helping a public school set up a music and photo archive, so that students can interact more with the arts. She used to be in the NJHS, and has now joined the NHS, because she has always treasured the values of these clubs: “I wanted to find a way to give back to society what I learned, and these clubs do just that,” she explains.

Although she does not think of herself as a sportswoman, the young teen enjoys running and going to the gym. Aside from taking care of her physical health when out of school, she has also been taking Kumon math classes ever since she was young: “I started to notice how I progressed in math after that. I will try high level math this year,” she announced. Reading is a habit that she has always cultivated; her favorite genres are dystopian romances and fantasies. “I read a lot in English, which I prefer, and have the habit of reading at bedtime,” she remarks.

Gearing up for the future, Eduarda works with her mother whenever she goes on vacation, and even attempts to perform a few tasks, with a team member’s guidance. “I want to study business. I have been part of this environment at my parents’ company ever since I was young,” she concludes.

“I WANTED TO FIND A WAY TO GIVE BACK TO SOCIETY WHAT I LEARNED, AND THESE CLUBS DO JUST THAT”

A midfielder in the varsity soccer team, Miguel Hofke has played ever since he was very young. So much so that, three years ago, when his family went back to living in Brazil and enrolled him at Chapel, what grabbed his attention the most was the soccer field. The 17-year-old, who is currently in 12th grade, practices soccer twice a week at school. “What I like the most about sports at Chapel is the passion; we play with a lot of grit,” he declared.

Prior to this, when he lived in the Dominican Republic, he played in Barcelona’s soccer school, and was picked to participate in a championship in Spain. Unfortunately, Covid-19 spoiled his plans, and the championship was called off. Aside from soccer, which he also follows on TV cheering for Flamengo, Miguel has also practiced boxing, is a gym-goer, and plans on doing jiu-jitsu.

As a member of the student committee for ABRACE, an anti-bullying program adopted by Chapel, Miguel was one of the proposers responsible for restarting the TAC (Take Action Club) activities. When he took on the club’s leadership, he started working on projects to prevent bullying at school. One such project will consist of TAC students doing activities with the younger students during advisory. “I decided to join TAC because I thought it was a great idea, and when I thought it might end, I got a few friends together to further the project,” he explains.

In the future, he plans on studying business administration or economics, because he believes that his dad has inspired him to do so. He will keep good memories of Chapel: “I really like it here; the school is very cool. I was very well received. I like its spirit and the people,” he concludes.

“I LIKE CHAPEL’S SPIRIT AND THE PEOPLE. WHAT I LIKE THE MOST ABOUT SPORTS HERE IS THE PASSION; WE PLAY WITH A LOT OF GRIT.”

“PARTICIPATING IN A CLUB GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE RESPONSIBILITIES, OF TEACHING THE YOUNGER KIDS. IT’S ’A VERY RICH EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE IT CONNECTS US TO PEOPLE FROM OTHER GRADES”

Accustomed to living in other countries, Gabriel has always studied in international schools, which made him feel at ease when he joined Chapel four years ago. Although he was born in the United States, he views himself more as a Brazilian citizen. “I was just born in the US; I am more Brazilian than anything else,” he stated, as he started counting how many countries he has lived in, such as England and Spain, as well as other Brazilian cities aside from São Paulo. “When we came back to Brazil, it was like coming home. Adapting was not difficult at all,” he discloses.

During the time he was a student at Chapel - from 9th grade up to his graduation from high school this past June - Gabriel took part in clubs that encourage debate and bonding with people: MUN, NJHS, NHS, and TAC were his choices. At MUN, the first one he joined, the 18-year-old received awards on several occasions. “I have always enjoyed debating, arguing, and ever since I was a child, I have enjoyed topics connected to law,” he recounts. Right afterwards, he revealed what he considers to be the primary lesson he learned from the clubs: “Participating in a club gives us the opportunity of acquiring responsibilities, of teaching the younger kids. It’s a very rich experience, because it connects us to people from other grades.”

His best memories from Chapel are the friends he made, as well as some of the teachers who impacted his life, and with whom he has maintained a good relationship. “Many of the friends I have made at Chapel are not even from Brazil, and that is one of the best things this school could have offered me, i.e., a truly international community,” he states. In the future, Gabriel plans to take a college preparatory course, and try for a spot in the law program of a renowned university. “I am more at ease in Brazil. I feel that continuing my studies here will be the best option for me,” he concludes.

Aside from being dedicated to the 1st and 2nd graders at Chapel’s Elementary School, Portuguese teacher Paula Castro engages in several other academic and physical activities in her routine. As far as sport activities go, the main ones are CrossFit and yoga, aside from her routine weightlifting exercises. “I practiced CrossFit for four years, but stopped recently to dedicate myself to gentler activities, such as yoga, which I have been practicing for a long time,” she recounts. Recently, she has also taken on a new passion, and is learning how to dance hip hop. “Every day, I feel that I am making fewer mistakes in the choreography,” she reveals, smiling.

Her professional career is full of academic specializations, all of them in education. Paula has a degree in teaching with a specialization in neuroscience applied to learning and education, and has recently embarked on a degree in psychoanalysis. When asked about what she thinks her greatest achievement has been up to now, her eyes light up when she describes that she dove deeper into inclusion when she was studying neuroscience, and worked with children who had neurodevelopmental disorders, which led her to a specialization in ASD (autism spectrum disorder).

As a member of a multidisciplinary team that adapts and differentiates literacy-related school activities for autistic children, Paula celebrates her students’ achievements, recounting that, during the pandemic, she was able to teach a student how to read through Zoom, an online communication app. “Based on the results that I’ve been having, I have become more convinced that all of us have the potential to learn. We are all diverse and learn in our own way. The path makes all the difference!” she points out.

“ALL OF US HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO LEARN. WE ARE ALL DIVERSE AND LEARN IN OUR OWN WAY. THE PATH MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE!”

Having moved to Brazil a little over a year ago, the current technology coordinator at Chapel, Javier Rebagliati, has quickly adjusted to the country and its people. “People here are lively and welcoming. I already had a few friends living here, but I made others at school,” states the Peruvian, who in addition to being a teacher is also a dramatic arts professional. In his native country, Javier worked in the theater for over a decade. “I’ve acted in different plays and a few musicals, both amateur and professional, in a few national TV series, and some TV commercials,” recounts the teacher. He has also directed and written for the theater and had the opportunity to teach the subject in a school in Lima, where he used to live. “I strongly support the theater classes here at Chapel. I followed the 8th grades classes last semester, helping teachers plan the activities,” he remarks.

Once, he had the opportunity to act in the Peruvian production of the world-renowned musical Cabaret at the Municipal Theater in Lima. He recounts that he was the assistant director, and that its success led to the musical’s season’s being extended. However, a few actors had taken on other commitments, and the producers needed someone who knew the moves and lines. “I knew everything, because I had watched all the rehearsals. It was my major break in theater. Aside from Lima, we traveled to other cities in Peru, and I eventually did eight shows,” he reveals.

In sports, Javier played and practiced badminton regularly while he was a student. He even participated in the first draft of Peru’s national team. “I have excellent memories of that time. I haven’t played badminton for a long time, but even those who know the sport and see me playing beach tennis today, notice that my movements allude to badminton,” he says playing around.

Aside from his theatrical experience, Javier Rebagliati believes that his greatest achievement is in education, and that it is happening right now: “Being hired by Chapel and moving to Brazil was very important. I have always been very interested in the country, but didn’t think it would happen so quickly,” admits the teacher, who is developing a new project for an independent self-paced technology course for educators.

“I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE THEATER CLASSES HERE AT CHAPEL. I FOLLOWED THE 8TH GRADE CLASSES LAST SEMESTER”

GALLERY

The Carnaval and International Festival celebrations; the competition and get-togethers at the Little 8, Big 8, and Young Trojans sports tournaments; the 12th, 6th, and Kindergarten graduations were a few of the events that stood out at Chapel in the last school year. Check out the photos of these cultural and festive moments that engaged the school community in the pages that follow.