American Schoolof Durango NEWSLETTER Issue 8, February 2015

American Schoolof Durango NEWSLETTER
The Official Publication of American School of Durango
Issue 8,
February 2015

EXPO ORIENTA 2015
The American School of Durango participated in the Expo
Orienta 2015 that took place on the 21 st and 22 nd of February. It is
the first Educational Fair held in Durango.
We had an outstanding team that participated with enthusiasm
and represented our Institution with much pride.
We are interested in causing a great impact on our community
and letting everyone know of the greatness of our School.
We are interested that our city, state, country and world knows
about the ASD Family.
Thank you for your support, always!!!

KINDERGARTEN COORDINATOR
Miss Akui Santiesteban
8 Sentences that will change your child´s life
1
Great minds
discuss ideas
4
If you do not
step forward
you will
always be in
the same
place
2
Two things
matter: honesty
and respect
5
If you don´t
ask. You don´t
get.
3
Be kind.
for everyone
you meet is
fighting a hard
battle
6
Your words are
powerful. Use
them wisely
7
Will this problem
matter a year
from now?
8
All great
achievements
require time

NURSERY
Ms. July Salas
We had a fieldtrip to the Bebeleche museum; our children
were accompanied by a family member; we had the
opportunity to explore rooms for young children; they
pretended to be adults and played in a mini Walmart and had
a lot of fun making giant bubbles.
This month we began our theme “Sea Animals” where we will
strengthen their knowledge through work, songs and pictures.

PRE KINDER
Ms. Marymar Ramírez
“1,2,3 count with me”, “4, 5, 6 do it we me”, “7, 8, 9, 10 lets do it
again”; with song, rhymes and oral counting, we are learning to
count from 1 to 10 and they can now identify numbers from 1-3.
We also talked about animals, we begin with the ones that can be
at home, we call them ¨pets¨. The children talked about the
animals they have in their house and described them. The kids
also shared what they do with their dogs, while showing pictures
to the class.

K1
Ms. Saskia Bravo
Sponge painting is a very versatile art activity that can cater to
any lesson theme and can be enjoyed by children.
The students used sponges to make textured stamps artistic for
Valentine´s Day.
Preschool Story Time is a great way to support and encourage
children to love books and reading. At the end of our story time
the students are asked to choose a book and they try to retell the
story.

K2 A
Ms. Pearl Gear
Last Friday, the class celebrated Valentine's day. Although the holiday
is marked on February 14th in the calendar, we celebrated it on the
13th this year. This was due to the fact that the 14th ended up being a
Saturday. Not wanting to deprive the students of the celebration, we
decided to have a little bit of fun on Friday in honour of the holiday.
The children took candy and other assorted sweets to share with their
classmates, fostering an atmosphere of friendship and caring. Also,
there were many games played, and many great laughs and fun
moments to be had.
Valentine's day is celebrated in honour of the Roman priest, St.
Valentine, he lived in second century Rome, and married couples in
secret when this practice was outlawed by then-emperor Claudius II.
Because of his brave acts in the name of love, he is remembered on
this day.

K2 B
Ms. Brenda Botello
We integrated the theme “animals” in all the learning areas. We
counted and grouped animals for math.
In science we learned about animals. In social development we
brought our pets; during language arts we talked about our
favorite animals and reinforced our vocabulary.
In art class we painted and did different activities, and for media
and technology we listened to cd`s and watched documentaries;
with all of these, children learned more about animals and we
monitored and promoted children`s development.

K3 A
Ms. Ellen Barbour
We are having a lot of fun learning about music! We read stories
about famous musicians such as Celia Cruz and Beethoven. We
listened to different genres of music including salsa, classical
music, and rock.
We studied different types of instruments. We even made our own
instruments- rain sticks and drums- using recycled materials from
home. This unit allowed us to practice our language skills,
counting and rhythm skills, and listening skills. Most importantly,
we developed a greater appreciation for music and were able to
express ourselves creatively through music.

K3 B
Ms. Cynthia Saucedo
Art In The Classroom
Students have been learning and experiencing art through paintings
and music this month. By learning about famous artists’ stories and
their painting techniques and music children were able to express
themselves by painting like Frida Kahlo (feelings), Leonardo Da Vinci
(real life) and Monet (natural forms) and playing instruments.
Children will gain useful life skills through art such as communication,
social, emotional and fine motor skills as well as self-expression and
creativity. Therefore we encourage children to make images, to play
and compose music, to explore their thoughts and ideas and to
communicate their thinking to themselves and others.

ELEMENTARY COORDINATOR
In February, it was all about UN Week! This important
event took a great effort form both teachers and students, who
worked very hard to prepare and be ready on time.
All classrooms were enthusiatically researching,
decorating, painting, practicing and dancing for two months.
During that week, they had the opportunity to enjoy
other countrie’s exhibitions the day before the main event for
parents.
The final exhibitions and show were amazing, proving
that UN Week is a Project students, teachers and parents fully
Enjoy.
Lic. Lariza Niebla

Elementary

1st Gray
G'day Mate!
This month we discovered the wonderful continent that
is Australia. We looked at the beautiful landmarks it has, the food
it is famous for and also the clothes that make it unique. Kids
were able to see why Australia is so well known and what makes
it special. The students enjoyed learning about a new place they
had never gone to and they also enjoyed going to different
classes and watching others presentations. This was the first time
the kids got up in front of an audience and spoke English out loud
and I must say they did and excellent job! A BIG thank you to all
parents for their participation and support.
Miss Jasmine Castañeda and Ms. America Marin

1º Maroon
Febrero 2015.
Tenemos el gusto de compartirles una muestra de la
gran dedicación y esfuerzo de los alumnos de Primer grado en la
UN Week. Con mucho entusiasmo realizaron sus presentaciones
sobre ITALIA ante sus compañeros de 4º y 6º, Padres de
Familia, abuelitos, tíos, etc. Fue una gran experiencia también
visitar a los niños de otros grados para escuchar sus
investigaciones sobre diferentes países.
Nos sentimos sumamente orgullosas del desempeño
que demostraron nuestros pequeños, ya que a pesar de su edad,
lo hicieron con mucho profesionalismo.
Miss Silvia Rodríguez
Miss Fabiola Torróntegui

2nd Gray
The students worked hard on compiling information
on various aspects of the well renowned country, Germany.
They were divided into four groups. Each group
worked together to research both, at home and in class
information pertinent to their topic. After the research was
completed, the students in each group worked together to
prepare their visual displays along with their oral
presentations.
Additionally, the children participated in a German
folk dance in representation of the country.
Ms Donna-Lee George

2º Gray
HIGIENE DENTAL
Los alumnos estuvieron elaborando una maqueta
realizada en plastilina para representar los distintos elementos que
conforman la cavidad bucal, enfocándose especialmente en los
dientes y sus cuidados especiales.
Utilizaron nuevamente los medios electrónicos para
apoyarse en la búsqueda de las imágenes adecuadas al tema. Todos
demostraron un gran conocimiento de las formas de prevenir las
enfermedades en los dientes.
Terminaron exponiendo con gran entusiasmo su Proyecto
denominado “HIGIENE DENTAL” que corresponde a la materia
“NATURALEZA Y SOCIEDAD”.
Ms. Lourdes García

2º Maroon
SEMANA DE LA ONU
¡ALEGRÍA, ENTUSIASMO Y PARTICIPACIÓN!
Los alumnos estuvieron practicando la Danza Argentina
«El Gato», bailable que presentaron durante la Semana de NU. Fue
sorprendente la gran disciplina que demostraron así como su deseo
de que el resultado fuera magnífico.
Posteriormente, utilizaron los medios electrónicos para
apoyarse en la búsqueda de la información sobre los diferentes
aspectos importantes de Argentina.
Terminaron exponiendo con gran organización y orden los
temas correspondientes a cada equipo, brindando a sus Padres una
gran sensación de orgullo.
Ms. Lourdes García

3rd Gray
The students were assigned to represent the
country of The Commonwealth of Dominica. They
were divided into four groups: History, Traditions,
Music and Dance, and Food. They did some
research, worked hard, and did a great job at
presenting their findings. The dance for the show
proved to be a challenge for the Gray Group but they
performed it with flying colors! Congratulations to
everyone for their hard work and help!
Ms. Rebecca Bowery

3° Maroon
En la semana de las Naciones Unidas, los alumnos
trabajaron en grupos investigando sobre el país de Líbano.
Con esta actividad además de conocer la historia y cultura de
otros países, convivieron con sus padres y amigos dentro de
un ambiente de respeto, cooperación y responsabilidad.
Felicidades por el excelente trabajo que presentaron
dentro del aula y por su danza libanesa!
Ms. Betty Sánchez

4th Gray
JAPAN
For UN Week, Gray class picked Japan. We created
many art projects including Shibori Art, calligraphy, cherry
blossom painting, origami, and decorated the class with huge
Koi fish. Students researched five separate areas of Japan:
Language and Culture, Plants and Animals, Children’s Toys
and Food, History, and Geography. The girls performed a
Cherry Blossom Dance in kimonos with Japanese parasols
while the boys performed Taiko Drumming . Groups
presented their projects to other classes and to parents. Our
class presented a real insight into Japanese culture.
Ms. Lynda Long

4th Grey UN Week

4° Maroon
El pasado 13 de febrero, los alumnos de 4° grado
participaron en el evento de “Naciones Unidas” que se realizó con
gran éxito en nuestro colegio con el fin de que poco a poco conozcan
la historia, la geografía, las costumbres, etc. de los países
representados por todos los alumnos de nuestra Institución.
Primeramente, tuvo lugar un colorido desfile en el que los
estudiantes de 4° Maroon representaron dignamente al país de
GRECIA; enseguida, en el “Talent Show” presentaron la danza de
“Zorba el Griego” y por último, ya en su salón expusieron frente a los
padres de familia los temas previamente investigados.
¡Felicidades 4° Maroon!
Ms. Betty Veloz

5th Gray
The United Nations week preparation began for students in
January. The research journey took several weeks for them to
summarize and talk about it . First, they researched their topics and
answered questions about them. With these answers, they began to
work on their presentations. Each student worked at his/her own
pace. Learning samba was not that easy though. As the weeks rolled
along they began to catch the hang of SAMBA, which is now part of
their dancing. The students were amazed by the large biodiversity of
Brazil and also their great manufacture of airplanes, artilleries and
weapons. But that was not all, the constant chattering of the soccer
fans in fifth grade turned into matches inside of the classroom.
Definitely it was worth the while. BRAZIL…….
Ms. Dalia Joseph

6th Gray
February was dominated by United Nations week. I feel
very proud of the kids for having completed their research, posters,
oral presentations, and classroom setup completely on their own.
Naturally, there was quite a bit of variance in what was produced, but I
thought ALL of our kids worked hard and learned something. Great to
see .
The other big piece of news is that we are well into our next
big focus, the science fair! Kids will all be planning experiments and
performing them through the lens of the scientific method. I am
looking forward to seeing what choices they make and what work they
produce for this project. We will be doing ALL the work here at school,
so it should be a great chance for them to shine all on their own.
Mr. Aubrey Linen

5º Maroon
A los alumnos de este salón les tocó presentar al país
de Portugal. Los niños estuvieron investigando sobre su cultura,
política, división política, gastronomía, tradiciones y costumbres.
Después hicieron maquetas, cartulinas y trajeron material de
apoyo para su presentación.
Como parte de este proyecto también representaron un
baile típico de Portugal e impartieron una clase en portugués.
Ms. Consuelo Aguado

Computación
Los alumnos de primer año han pasado por una etapa
diferente en la clase de computación debido a que en primaria ya
no se utilizan los juegos didácticos, sino que se empieza a utilizar
la computadora como una herramienta de trabajo.
En este bimestre comenzamos a trabajar con el
programa Excel, en el que se está elaborando una tabla de las
principales actividades de los niños en casa, ellos asignan
horarios para ver la televisión, jugar, dormir, entre otras
actividades y con esta información realizaremos una gráfica en
Excel en la que se visualizará la distribución de cada uno de los
alumnos.
Ms. Aidee Conde

Integración al Arte - Art Class
En 1° año, los niños crearon algunas formas para
relacionarlas con distintos fondos, y ver efectos y diferencias.
Reconocieron cuál es su espacio personal para explorarlo con
diferentes movimientos. También realizaron distintas
evocaciones sensoriales, empleando sus sentidos y recordar
formas, olores, sabores, sonidos y texturas.
Los alumnos de 2° año observaron el movimiento en
imágenes, realizando su propia composición visual. Así mismo,
lograron identificar distintos puntos de apoyos corporales y de
equilibrio, aplicándolo luego al realizar distintas figuras corporales
en equipo.
Ms. Rosa Martha González

Integración al Arte - Art Class
Los niños de 3° elaboraron un círculo poli cromático,
mezclando los colores primarios (rojo, amarillo y azul), para
obtener los colores secundarios (naranja, verde y violeta). En
expresión corporal, distinguen diferentes formas de
relacionarse con objetos y compañeros en el espacio personal y
general.
En 4° año, los alumnos crearon una composición
plástica empleando las técnicas de adición y sustracción de
material, utilizando jabón. Como parte de la Expresión Corporal y
Teatro, realizaron una pequeña composición dancística a partir
de un cuento.
Ms. Rosa Martha González

Integración al Arte - Art Class
Los alumnos de 5° realizaron un collage con
fotografías y recortes de inmuebles de valor cultural, de distintos
estados de México, para identificar algunas características de la
arquitectura patrimonial. También realizaron distintas
secuencias dancísticas en base a ideas obtenidas del collage
de México y de distintos contenidos temáticos.
Los alumnos de 6° identificaron las diferencias entre
el arte figurativo y arte abstracto, realizando una composición
abstracta con la aportación de todos. Finalmente investigaron
sobre los elementos básicos de los bailes folklóricos de
México, teniendo una demostración de algunos de ellos.
Ms. Rosa Martha González

4° Gray - Música
Comenzamos a preparar la correcta entonación del
Himno Nacional Mexicano, con la intención de participar en los
concursos realizados por la Secretaria de Educación Pública.
Tuvimos una primer etapa de pre selección entre todos
los grupos de 1° a 6° grado, siendo los grupos más destacados
4° Gray y Marrón, así como 5° Marrón.
Aquí les comparto al grupo de 4° Gray en la pre selección.
Prof. Jesús Betancourt

Educación Física
El alumno resolverá problemas que
impliquen el dominio de sus habilidades
motrices básicas como lanzar, correr,
caminar, saltar, jalar, etc., aplicándolos en
situaciones de juego colectivo.
L.E.F. César Luna

2º Educación Física

.
3º Educación Física

4º Educación Física

.
.
5º Educación Física

6º Educación Física

LIBRARY
New Books !
Eyewitness Collection :
• Ancient Rome
• Amazing Science
• Dinosaurs
Wild Nature :
• Incredible animals!
Come & enjoy them !
Ms. Sandra Vázquez

En Febrero celebramos el nacimiento de Laura Ingalls
Wilder, escritora estadounidense autora de la colección “ Little
House on the Prayre”, serie de 9 libros basados en las
experiencias de una familia y su vida en la pradera.
¡Ven a conocerlos!
También en este mes celebramos el aniversario del
nacimiento de George Washington, Abraham Lincoln y Thomas
Alva Edison.
Los alumnos del grupo “Super Kids” elaboraron unas
tarjetas hermosas por el día del amor y la amistad, las cuales se
muestran en nuestro boletín.
Ms. Sandra Vázquez

MS-HS COORDINATOR
Well, the pace of the school year definitely has not slowed
down, in fact, we could probably say that it is speeding up! Our students
and staff have competed at an oustanding level in ASOMEX tournaments,
IMMUNS and in the classroom, as evidenced by our long Honor Roll list.
We are gearing up for CADMUN, MathCounts, Career Day, Talent Show
and Science Fair as well.
On top of all this, we have events planned to support the
triangle between student, home and school. Many thanks to all you who
attended the conference on Social Network Security. We are also training
students in values through ANSPAC and our next CCCCCC will focus on
Intelligent Discipline. All of this and more is part of the well-rounded life
experiences that we offer our ASD families. We hope to see you taking
advantage of them!
Warm regards,
Mr. Sharp

7°
Biología
Los alumnos de biología han estado trabajando en los temas
de fotosíntesis, respiración externa, respiración celular aerobia y
anaerobia. Se realizaron prácticas de laboratorio de fotosíntesis
y dióxido de carbono, además presentaron un proyecto de
fotosíntesis.
Los alumnos también están trabajando en sus proyectos de
feria de ciencias.
Ms. Elba Mayela Júarez
Ms. Mercedes Serrano

8º Grado
Los alumnos trabajaron con diversas dinámicas en equipos para aprender
los valores del trabajo en equipo, además de mejorar su autoestima y
convivencia entre ellos mediante los cursos del programa de ANSPAC
enfocado al fomento de valores y actividades para mejorar su desarrollo
social y afectivo dentro y fuera del aula.
Mr. González
MS-HS Counselor and Teacher

8° Grado
Cívica y Ética
Los alumnos de octavo grado han
estado exponiendo por equipo el tema
de La Cultura y la importancia de
tener tolerancia y respeto por la gran
diversidad de culturas existentes. A
pesar de esta gran diferencia que
puede existir en valores y culturas, los
alumnos perciben que en su vida
diaria se ven inmersos en un
ambiente multicultural y cómo se
puede dar la convivencia a pesar de
esas diferencias.
Mr. Barrón
Ciencias Sociales

8th Grade English
Flag Ceremony
“In our flag ceremony we gave presentations about different festivities. We made it like a news
program with two anchormen and a camera man. The holidays that we represented were Chinese
New Year, New York´s New Year, Epiphany, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We had a really good
ceremony, but we know that even though everything went well, we still need to improve for future
flag ceremonies.” (Jorge Maa Silerio)
“I am proud of my teacher and classmates because we had fun. We could have improved more
things, but I liked our performance. I hope we can do another flag ceremony.” (Victoria Dorador)
“We were so happy about how the flag ceremony went. Mr. Sharp also congratulated us and
thanked us for our efforts. That made all of us feel proud of our flag ceremony. We did a great job. I
am happy about it and I know that Mrs. Linen was happy too.” (Grecia Gamero Flores)
“I think this flag ceremony was one of the best flag ceremonies that we have ever done. I liked it so
much because it was funny and it was realistic. We need to improve on some things, but the next
flag ceremony will be even better than this.” (Yamile Majul)
“Overall, the eighth graders did a great job. Everyone was fascinated by the show and the eighth
graders were so happy. After practicing a lot, we did it!” (Tufic Bermudez Luevanos)
“The flag ceremony was a wonderful
experience that taught us a lot. We
learned about other countries’ traditions,
how to be organized, and how to prove
ourselves. We learned from our
mistakes, and that is the most important
part of all; to learn new things each day.
We also proved that eighth graders can
do it too. We can handle important
things and do them even better.”
(Sandra Lizeth Martinez Diaz)
“Teachers congratulated us, even
classmates! It was a funny and clever
idea.” (Emilia Estrada Renta)
Ms. Linen

9th Grade English
Romeo and Juliet
The students in ninth grade have just completed a unit
where they studied the poetry and tragedy in the play Romeo and
Juliet, by William Shakespeare. Students read excerpts from the play,
watched it on screen, and analyzed some very complex language.
They also became familiar with all the characters involved with the two
warring families.
Students enjoyed debating whether it is possible to fall in
love at first sight, how young is too young to be in love, and whether
or not it is worth dying for love. They culminated the unit with a
project where they got to choose between memorizing and acting out
a scene, or writing a letter from one character to another.
Mrs. Linen
MS English Teacher

10º Grado
Los alumnos realizaron avances importantes en el
Proyecto Emprendedor, preparándose para la presentación que
se realizará en el mes de mayo del presente año, donde
mostrarán diversos productos y proyectos empresariales que
funcionarán como punto de partida no solo para el crecimiento
económico de Durango, sino también para fomentar desde ahora
su creatividad y liderazgo en el entorno social y económico en el
que se desenvuelven.
Mr. González
MS-HS Counselor and Teacher

11th Grade English
American Literature
Between novels, students in American Literature class are
studying the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance. In order to
deepen their understanding of this massive creative output of
African Americans, students have also been studying the blues.
The blues is a musical form that helped influence Harlem
Renaissance writers like Langston Hughes—and every genre of
popular American music—for the last 100 years.
Mr. Price
High School English Teacher

12th Grade
La clase de Probabilidad y Estadística revisa
temas de Probabilidad de Eventos Compuestos que
consiste en el uso del enfoque lógico para llegar al
resultado. Por dificultades de horario con la maestra
anterior, fui presentado recientemente como el nuevo
titular de la materia. Estoy ansioso de impartirlo y
compartir muchas actividades didácticas que tengo en
mente para ellos.
Mr. Schommer
Middle and High School Mathematics Support

CADMUN
The Secretariat team of CADMUN is in a very special state
of mind filled with confidence and hope. They all are prepared and
ready. The team is working as hard as they can to make it a
successful one, and I cannot wait to see the result of their dedication.
We have also sent a team of delegates to the MUN simulation,
IMMUNS in Monterrey to represent our school in February. The 10 th
and 7 th graders will become unstoppable in the future as they have so
many experiences under their belt. I am very proud of them as well.
Keep it up!
Mr. Nomura
MS-HS Social Studies Teacher and MUN Advisor

MS-HS
Science
Science Fair
The countdown for Science Fair has begun. During the
Science Fair on March 18 th we will reveal a great variety of
interesting and unique projects. The students have worked
well and many are reaching the final stages of data
collection. I look forward to seeing the final drafts and
presentation.
Great work class,
Mr. Stenzel

MathCounts 2015
The day is near: one of the most important mathematical
competitions will begin soon; therefore, ASD’s team has been preparing
arduously from Monday through Thursday in intense training sessions. We
are looking forward to the Relay, in which the 7th graders Eduardo,
Leonardo, Magaly, and Sara, along with Jorge, Natalia, Rodrigo, and
Sandra from 8th grade will run a distance of 21m, solve a mathematical
problem, and then run back until all of them have competed. The written
exam will come next, putting all their abilities in logic and mathematics to
the test. MathCounts 2015 is March12-13 in Monterrey. Wish us luck!
Mr. Rodríguez
MathCounts Head Advisor

Music
Con gran gusto comenzamos a trabajar en clase de Música optativa
con el grupo de 10º grado. Teniendo una gran participación de los
muchachos, estamos avanzando rápidamente en el montaje de
repertorio, que podrán escuchar pronto en los eventos del colegio.
Así mismo trabajamos individualmente en cada instrumento, teniendo
en este grupo excelentes cantantes femeninas, flauta, guitarra y
percusiones.
Jesús Betancourt
Maestro de Música

Physical Education
Los alumnos de 9° participarán en actividades de cancha
dividida, de muro, de bate y de campo de invasión, a fin
de analizar y reflexionar sobre la lógica interna del juego y
con ello desarrollar el pensamiento estratégico. Se
propone así que los adolescentes participen de manera
decidida.
Saludos,
Prof. Manuel García Carrasco

Dibujo y Pintura
Los alumnos de 9° se encuentran dibujando la figura humana, con
énfasis en
• Proporción
• Figura femenina
• Figura masculina
utilizando la técnica de lápices de grafito.
Saludos,
Ms. Ibarra y Mr. Vela

ASOMEX CHAMPIONS
HAWKS
DOUBLE ASOMEX CHAMPIONS