Need for another meeting

Before our meeting with the owners, we need to do some homework together in preparation. How about meeting on Wednesday. I'd originally said Tuesday but I'm supposed to be at Anglo all morning! Sorry about the confusion, but this is part of the adjustments we need to make as we go along. Please tell Norita, Sofia, Graciela, and Silvia about this proposed change. I'm available all day. I propose we meet Wednesday at 10:30. Please, leave a message saying whether you can make it. If you can't, please, suggest a different time, preferably the same day. We don't know when the meeting with the owners will take place. Let's keep the conversation going through this blog in case we don't see each other.

First English Department Award!!!

As discussed earlier in conversations with different members of the Department, we are giving our first award. As you know, our first awardee is Valentina Becker. I've written a brief piece to be read at the end of year ceremony. Please, I'd like your feedback to amend, add, subtract, etc. etc. to this text. I'll be looking forward to your comments, not only about the text below, but about the award, the awardee, and any related thoughts... Here it is:

Valentina ha sido un verdadero dínamo detrás de todo proyecto del aula, de su promoción, o del colegio. En las clases de inglés ha sido una presencia refrescante, de inagotable energía positiva y que ha sabido maximizar la propuesta académica que se le presentó. Ha sido una de las pioneras en abrazar el desafío de ser parte del primer grupo de alumnos del colegio en tomar el examen de Bachillerato Internacional A2 que supone probar un nivel de inglés como primera lengua o casi primera lengua. A lo largo de los años en nuestras clases, en su motivación y capacidad de análisis, los sucesivos profesores que le han enseñado han visto una respuesta reconfortante y sólida. En Valentina se ha visto siempre plasmada la visión de aprendizaje que deseamos para nuestros alumnos. Su calidez, su tranquilidad, su bajo perfil altamente receptivo, su creatividad, su inagotable entusiasmo y su fina sensibilidad hacen de ella una presencia memorable que esperamos perpetuar en el tiempo a través de este premio. Por estas razones y otras que escapan a este escueto análisis, es un honor entregar a Valentina Becker el primer premio a la excelencia del Departamento de Inglés.

Do you agree with the tone, the content, the structure? Should we include specific examples of her participation in different projects? Please, let me know what you think. I need to turn this in sometime THIS week... Thank you!

Back online!

After an interminable hiatus of no Internet connection, and even worse, no computer (!), I'm back to my real and more complete self. So here's a brief update...

We have a number of issues that everyone needs to know:

• Today, as a result of the 9th Year team inquiry, Diana and Filomena clarified the format of the December and February assessment. In every instance, we must give a written and oral exam, except in the December Language exam. In the latter we can give a written test only. For clarification, please ask Silvia, Norita or Sofia.
• The meeting of the Department with the school owners has been rescheduled for next week. Stay in touch to find out the exact date and time.
• Convened by Andrea, today I had a meeting with her and the three teachers of the Department of Lengua, Leonor, Guido and Laurita. We discussed working closer together to define curricular similarities and differences. The goal is to share experiences and approaches that may benefit both Departments. After Andrea sends the minutes of the meeting I'll share them with all you via this blog.

As usual, please, feel free to leave your comments on this or any other Department issue. See you around!