news
During November we worked on the value of Responsibility, taking into account its importance in the training of our students. We are sharing the following
link
for
you
to
have
more
information
on
this
topic:
http://bit.ly/responsabilityinchildrenart
We invite you to work as a team to continue promoting the responsibility of your children in their different tasks and daily activities.
RESPONSIBILITY
Values Workshop During the month of November, we had the opportunity to work with our Elementary students during their Second Step class. We taught a workshop of values, in which we talked mainly about the value of responsibility. Responsibility is a value which manifests itself through the concern of responding to the duties acquired consciously. It implies the proper use of freedom, and taking charge of their own acts. It reflects respect for others and themselves. During the workshop, we talked about how to be a responsible person: -
Be reliable and accomplished, when you agree to do something, do it. Take care of your own responsibilities. Don't let others do what you are supposed to do. Be responsible for your actions. Do not give excuses or blame others. Think before acting, imagine the consequences.
As a group, students shared how they could be responsible at home, at school and with the community. These are some of the comments students shared with us: HOME
SCHOOL
COMMUNITY
Help our parents
Respect my classmates and teachers
Do not throw trash on the floor
Organize my room
Be organize
Recycle
Do my homework from school
Pay attention
Not pollute the planet
Help clean my clothes
Follow instructions
Do not paint the city walls
Prepare to go to school
Take care of my materials
Take care of the animals in my country
Take care of my pet
Don't forget my lunchbox
Help people
Respect my family
Don´t lose the sweater
Love my country
gloria.delopez@interamericano.edu.gt estefania.coma@interamericano.edu.gt
Motivating my Middle Schooler A big part of responsibility is motivation, and for a Middle School student this shifts very often and goes hand in hand with all the other constant, yet normal, changes they are going through socially and personally at this age. One of the major Middle School parent “eye-openers” is the change in academic expectations at the Middle School level. Now students are assigned to teams, changing classes, choosing electives, and dealing with “tons” of homework. Particularly, the kids seemed to deal with these changes with few issues. It’s the parents who suffered the most. Middle school brings student desire for more freedom and independence and that also means in an academic sense as well. How can you as a parent navigate these continually shifting sands without trying to rescue your child all the time? In the following link there are some useful detailed ideas for ways you can continue to navigate Middle School more successfully for both you and your child in this last stretch of the year. Motivating Middle Schoolers: A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Academics
brigitte.chinchilla@interamericano.edu.gt
PROMOTING SELF- RESPONSIBILITY IN TEENAGERS In High School, in the socio- emotional area, we thrive to support our students to develop self- advocacy skills, which is directly linked to the sense of responsibility for themselves. We guide the students to get informed, to avoid procrastination, to get organized, to check their grades periodically, and, especially, to reflect about themselves to identify what makes them feel happy and fulfilled. Having a sense of purpose in their lives is essential at any age, and it is during the teenage years when people start to visualize it. Teenagers are “adults in training”, and therefore they still need a close guidance from adults they can trust, especially their parents, but also including teachers and school support staff. As a team, we can facilitate the process of getting to know themselves, promote self- acceptance, that will have a positive impact in their self- esteem, and in addition, help them to identify their areas of need or opportunity, and to ask for help whenever they need to, identifying the strategies they can implement as well as key people that can support them to reach their goals. Below are some pieces of advice for parents in regard to this topic. ● ● ●
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Lead by example and demonstrate responsible behaviors in our roles as adults and as parents. Admitting our mistakes in front of our children. Active listening to our teenagers. Look them in the eyes, demonstrating interest in their stories, paraphrasing to make sure we understood the ideas they are expressing. Put into practice self- care strategies for us as parents . Manage our emotions and teach self- control strategies since they are little. Delegate responsibilities or chores according to their ages, especially life skills, such as teaching them to do their laundry, cooking (at least some basics), cleaning, changing a tire, etc. Guide them in finding what bothers them, their needs (ex. Missing assignments, anxiety triggered by exams, difficulties with friends) or what their goals are (Ex. healthy weight, vocational goals, etc) and support them into finding the tools to meet their needs or to reach the goals they identified for themselves. Promoting responsible behaviors in their face to face interactions as well as while they interact using devices such as tablets, Ipads, computers or cellphones, which includes talking about rules and expectations of use, but that also needs a close monitoring from the parents. Let’s keep in mind that the goal is to trust them and allow them to be independent, but while they are minors, the responsibility on their use falls on the parents, including the legal responsibility on the use and content of all devices.
apelaez@interamericano.edu.gt
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Career Day:
In November HS students participated in Career Day. This activity was split in two parts: 9th and 10th Grade: The students had the opportunity to have two conferences about the different careers that the universities offered. Also they did a workshop about discovering their passions and vocational interests. 11th and 12th Grade: The students had the opportunity to choose four different careers and have conferences about them. Learn more about the careers and answer all their questions. CAREER DAY
9TH AND 10TH GRADE:
kgonzalez@interamericano.edu.gt
CAREER DAY 11TH AND 12TH GRADE:
kgonzalez@interamericano.edu.gt
LINKS FOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
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Do you want to study at a top University abroad? The World's Top Universities can be found in different parts of the world – USA, Australia, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, France, etc. A number of these top Universities offer scholarship programs for outstanding international students. For more information check this link: http://www.scholars4dev.com/13300/international-scholarships-top-universities-world/
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Top 25 Europe Scholarships for International Students: Each year, millions of Euros worth of scholarships are offered by Colleges and Universities in Europe for international students.For more information check this link: http://www.scholars4dev.com/8647/europe-scholarships-international-students/
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Top 10 Prestigious Scholarships for the Best International Students If you are a bright, talented, or motivated international student, the best scholarships are for your taking. If you are from a developing country, also see top 10 scholarships for developing country students. For more information check the following link: http://www.scholars4dev.com/6268/top-10-scholarships-for-international-students/
kgonzalez@interamericano.edu.gt
kgonzalez@interamericano.edu.gt