CAG NEWS - SEP17_ISSUE4

196 Years of Guatemala
Celebrating
CAG NEWS
I s s u e N o . 4 - S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7
Visit Us!
http://www.cag.edu.gt/
DR. ENRIQUE CHAUX, PHD - LET'S TALK ABOUT BULLYING
Monday, October 2, 2017 starting at 7p.m.
Save the date!

CREATING A
PARTNERSHIP
IN GROWTH
PARTNERS IN PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Creating a Culture of Meaningful Reflection and Growth that Impacts Student Learning
By Ginger Carlson, CAG Director of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning
How can we best nurture reflective learners who actively collaborate and continually take action
towards their own growth? One important strategy is to develop teachers who model this in
authentic, meaningful ways. At CAG, one of our strategic goals supporting the Educational
Experience commitment is to strengthen the P-12 professional learning experience and develop as a
strong community of engaged and reflective educators who root their work in educational best
practices. Towards this commitment, we are working as a P-12 Learning community to set new
processes in place that support our faculty in focusing on best practices that elevate teacher
knowledge and skills and transfer directly to our students in their pursuit of developing a
meaningful life. Here, we highlight two of those processes that support us as “partners in growth.”

Reflect. Act. Grow.
Meaningful Collaboration Towards Growth
As a P-12 student-centered learning community, our challenge is to
implement professional learning that focuses directly and
deliberately on the learning of our students. To support this focus,
this August, CAG introduced the new Faculty Reflection and Growth
Framework, a tool and process that:
Supports faculty in assessing, planning for, and monitoring
their professional growth.
Situates students at the center of an interactive cycle.
Is comprised of a research-based set of components divided
into 3 general domains: School Culture, Curriculum, and
Teaching and Learning.
Invites faculty to engage in reflective practices, take initiative,
embrace a growth mindset, and recognize literacy as an
anchoring competency for all learning.
Provides a foundation for professional conversations and
develops a shared understanding of professional practice.
The theory guiding this framework is that as a CAG Professional
Educator, if you are continually engaged in an interactive cycle of
reflection, action, and growth, student learning will improve.
Towards this, CAG Faculty and Administration reflect on the
elements of research-based components, where and how they may
grow in those areas, set measurable goals as individuals and teams,
consult with peers, coaches, and supervisors, and take action
towards their growth. As the world and educational research about
the ways we learn continue to evolve and grow in understanding, so
will the “Story of the CAG Professional Educator.” We are delighted
to work together as a community in this next chapter.
What better way to empower and inspire our students to lead
meaningful lives than by demonstrating and practicing it ourselves?
Another professional learning structure designed to help bring
together CAG faculty from across grades, sections, and disciplines
with a shared commitment to improve student learning, are the CAG
Collaborative Communities, or the CCC. This structure began last
year as a pilot on a small scale. Building on the teacher enthusiasm
and growth that came from that small pilot, this July, seventy-three
CAG teachers and administrators participated in the National School
Reform Faculty (NSRF) five-day Critical Friends Group Training
towards becoming NSRF certified CFG coaches and skilled
participants in collaborative work. Providing this opportunity on the
CAG campus during the summer meant that more of our CAG faculty
could take part in the experience. These dedicated educators have
committed to practice through a culture of collaboration.
As a result of this powerful professional development opportunity,
our faculty have now formed CAG Collaborative Communities on a
large scale across the institution, where teachers develop collective
pedagogy for working with their students, fine-tune lessons and
units of study, analyze successes and dilemmas, and grow as a
community of professional learners. These communities place ongoing
professional learning in the hands of the teachers as valued,
valuable, and capable teams of professionals who come together to
focus on student learning. These collaborative communities
acknowledge that human beings are interrelated and through
multiple perspectives, consciousness about practice can grow.
Teachers are empowered to take ownership of their successes and
challenges, and develop as professionals together (Curry, 2008).
These are the deliberate steps that develop a flourishing faculty
culture that directly plants seeds with our students.

Handbook
CAG
The 2017- 2018 Family Handbook provides students and families
with the scope and sequence of grade level learning, outlines how
we honor academic and personal achievements, and welcomes
students to participate in clubs, competitive and service activities,
leadership opportunities and athletics. Within, there is also a
description for the role of student support throughout the school
in areas that address learning, social emotional counsel, college
guidance as well as health and nutrition.
The Handbook also shares details to support you and your family in
navigating our campus by making recommendations to enhance
communication between home and school, offering expectations for
academic performance, as well guidelines for safety and security.
Finally, the Handbook provides CAG’s philosophy for the
importance character and values play in the balance between
development and discipline in the crucial role of formative
education as we work to instill the embodiment of the CAG
learner profile, VIDAS, in each of our students.

How can the handbook
help me?
School Information
Student Expectations
Extracurricular Activities
Student Support Services
Procedures
CHECK IT OUT!
CLICK
HERE
to read online
Security & Emergency

Celebrating
196 Years
of Guatemala
SHOUT OUT
INDEPENDENCE DAY AT CAG

https://greatist.com/health/health-benefits-water
Let’s Drink More
Water
The Wellness committee welcomes its second
year at CAG encouraging the community to make
healthy lifestyle choices This month’s focus: drinking water when you are thirsty!
CAG Student, Elder Guzmán,
placed 3rd in the Guatemalan
National Tournament:
CAG congratulates Elder Guzmán,
12th grade PBA student competed in the
National Math & Science Olympics in
Guatemala on September 5th.
SHOUT OUT
CAG Director of College
Counseling Connects With
Universities in the Northeast
To learn more about Elder,
check out this video that
shares his story.
CAG Director of College Counseling Mr. Kevin Randolph
recently traveled to Boston and Providence, Rhode Island to
visit 15 different universities and meet with
admissions officers and students. Some of the
universities he personally met with during this conference
included Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern,
Providence College, Brown University, Suffolk University, Salve
Regina University, Harvard University and others.
On September 14 in Boston, Mr. Randolph also began
serving a three-year term on the National Association for
College Admission Counseling (NACAC) International
Initiatives Committee..
This eight person international board works closely
with organizations like the College Board (SAT), the ACT,
and university admissions representatives worldwide to
advocate for students in the university admission
process.
We are excited that Colegio Americano holds a
seat on this globally recognized committee.

Office of College Counseling
Events and Resources:
Please refer to the new CAG website
(http://www.cag.edu.gt/academics
/university-college-counseling) for a
complete guide to events and
university resources.
Universities Visits and CAG Testing
Dates
September 22: St. Edward's
University, Rollins College, University
of Tulsa, Trinity University (Texas),
University of Tampa, Lynn Univeristy
(Florida)
October 2: Goucher College
REMINDERS
October 3: University of Southern
Mississippi, Glion (Switzerland), Les
Roches (Switzerland), Blue Mountain
School (Australia), Kendall College
(Chicago), Universidad Europea
(Spain), Media Design School (New
Zealand), BTK (Germany)
October 6: Northwestern University,
NYU, University of Notre Dame,
Vanderbilt University, Johns Hopkins
University
October 7: SAT at CAG
October 25: PSAT at CAG (all grade 10
and 11 students)
Online Reporting at CAG for
MAP and Grade Reports
As one of our improvements for this
school year, we will send major
reports such as Trimester Grade
Reports electronically to you and also
store those reports in the “Student
Portfolio” located within your
PowerSchool account in the left hand
menu option. MAP scores for your
child will also be located in
the “Student Portfolio”.
By sending these reports
electronically, we also will ensure that
you are receiving a copy that was
historically printed and given to the
students to deliver as well as do our
part to reduce the amount of paper
that is used on campus.
To learn more about how to access
these reports on PowerSchool click
here or visit the Parent Portal area of
the website under Resources.
EARLY CHILDHOOD AND
ELEMENTARY STUDENT-LED
CONFERENCE INFORMATION
AND SIGN-UP
On Thursday, September 28, 2017, Elementary will host the Trimester I:
Student-Led Conference Day. Student led conferences are one of the many
ways Elementary focuses on offering the best educational experience possible.
These conferences give our students a chance to reflect on their learning and
establish goals that will impact the rest of their school year.
Please note that regular classes are canceled for students in grades 2-5
on September 28th. Students and parents should arrive together for their
scheduled appointment time.
In the area in front of the Early Childhood and Elementary offices, there will be
coffee and snacks for sale.
Elementary parents will use an online registration system that will be open
through Thursday, September 20th, 2017 to set up the conference appointments.
To learn more about how to register, follow this link:
https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/American_School_Of_Guatemala
Please note: PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR CHILD´S GRADE AND SECTION BEFORE
REGISTERING. IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT, CALL THE ELEMENTARY OFFICE. It is
the parent’s responsibility to choose the correct start times for multiple
appointments. We encourage parents with more than one student in Elementary
and Early Childhood to register early for their conferences. Since each conference
will take 30 minutes, please schedule times that are at least 45 minutes apart
from each other. We cannot hold conference times for families that arrive late.
Contact the Early Childhood Office at earlych@cag.edu.gt or Elementary Office at
elem@cag.edu.gt, or please feel free to call 2500-9595 with any questions
regarding the registration process.

ALUMNI NEWS
20-YEAR
CLASS OF 1997 CELEBRATED ITS
REUNION
A thoughtful and special celebration took place as the Organization
Committee did a wonderful job and many classmates travelled long
ways to be here. What started out as a friendly lunch ended up well
into the night with classmates singing, eating goodies from the “Bake
Sale” and remembering good old times. Smiles, hugs and laughter
were exchanged between classmates as they remembered their
thirteen-year journey at CAG realizing that the friendships that
started back in 1985 are lifelong.
Congratulations Class of
1997!

CAG
COMMUNITY
Have you
read the
previous
magazines?
Click on the link to see previous issues
http://www.cag.edu.gt/news