Monday, December 11, 2023

Dear Elementary Parents,

As I sit down to write this week's blog entry, I am filled with gratitude for our wonderful ACS community. Watching your children learn and grow each day, working with wonderful parents to make each child's school experience the best it can be, and passing my days alongside our wonderful faculty make me feel so lucky and honored to have this job. Looking out on 4 more days of school this semester, and in 2023, I am so optimistic for a great second half to this school year. Please read on for a few announcements;

12:00 pm Dismissal on Friday: Just a friendly reminder that this coming Friday is a half-day, with a 12:00 pm dismissal. I would like to give you a wink and a nod that you might enjoy arriving slightly early to be a part of some musical festivities - the fun will start at 11:45 am. 

End-of-Semester Parties on Friday: From 10:45 to 11:45 am on Friday, each class will have a party to conclude the semester. Watch for announcements and opportunities to help from classroom parents!

Peace for the Season - Holiday Concerts: Just a friendly reminder that on Wednesday, December 13th, we will have our elementary holiday concerts. From 8:30-9:30 am Grades 2-5 will be performing, and from 10:45-11:45 am, our KG3-G1 students will perform. 

Siblings, as usual, are permitted to attend concerts - if the class is going they will arrive at the theater and can sit with their class or with parents. If the class is not going, these siblings will be permitted to come to the theater, meet their parents in the foyer, and sit with their parents during showtime. 

Following the first concert, G2-5 students will return to their classes for normal programming until dismissal at 12:40 pm. With our second concert, parents are invited, if you wish, to pick up your KG3-G1 performers from the classroom after they depart from the theater. Your help in maintaining order and safety for our students is critical during moments like these - we appreciate your help!

Positive Elementary Parent Partners (PEPP) Invitation: We are still actively seeking parents to join a small group to share feedback, generate ideas and help ACS Elementary fulfill its mission and vision. I have received several applications and hope for a few more! I will be getting back to everyone who applied upon our return in January. For more information, and to indicate your interest, please scan the QR code below. 

Return to School: It feels lightyears away, but just a friendly reminder that Semester 2 of the 2023-24 school year starts on Thursday, January 11th. We look forward to seeing everyone back, then!

Thank you so much for reading. All of us here at ACS wish you and your families and peaceful and restorative holiday season and a healthy and happy 2024!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal

Monday, December 4, 2023

Dear Elementary Parents,
I hope your first few days of December have been joyous. It certainly has been interesting for my family, new to La Paz, to see the weather patterns changing as summer arrives. My first few weeks here in July, I thought clouds didn't exist in La Paz! 

I have a few important announcements to share, below, and in keeping with last week, a calendar of the coming days, at the very bottom of this blog post, to help you keep the many upcoming school events squared in your own calendars. 

Parent Coffee this Friday POSTPONED: Our Parent Coffees over the past month have been on hot parenting topics, but have had low attendance. We are learning that the "holiday season" is not ideal for these types of events. We are also working to create a better system for getting the word out and reminding parents. For now, we've postponed Nicole Fedio's presentation, titled "Different Ways to Think About Math" until Friday, January 19th. Then, Nicole will help us explore a variety of sample math problems that help to develop mathematical fluency in new ways. No registration is required, we hope to see you there!

Positive Elementary Parent Partners (PEPP) Invitation: We are actively seeking parents to join a small group to share feedback, generate ideas and help ACS Elementary fulfill its mission and vision. For more information, and to indicate your interest, please scan the QR code below. 

Open House for Prospective Families on Thursday: This Thursday, we will host prospective parents who may be interested in joining the ACS community beginning in January. If you know families who have their children in other schools, please share the poster below. Thank you!

Holiday Concert Information & Invitation: On Wednesday, December 12th, we will host our Holiday Concerts for KG3 through G1 at 10:45am, and G2 through G5 at 8:30am. We look forward to seeing you at this special event!

Thank you so much for reading, I wish you a calm and mindful week. 

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal

End of Semester Calendar

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
3	4	5	6	7 • 8:30-10a: ACS Open House • 830-230p: G5 Field Trip	8 • 815-915a Parent Cofee: Different Ways to Think about Math • 1230-3p G5 PBL Event	9
10	11	12	13 • Elementary Holiday Concerts 8:30-9:30am - G2-5 10:45-11:45am - KG3-G1	14	15 • 1045-1145 - Class Parties • 12p Dismissal • ~3p Report Cards Sent Home • December Break Begins	16

Monday, November 27, 2023

Dear Parents,
I sincerely hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and 4-day break. Mine was wonderful, I enjoyed some camping and rock climbing with my family. Now, we're back in action and heading into the final 3 weeks of the semester. These weeks will be action-packed, there are many, many events coming. To make this slightly easier to manage, I've created a calendar of events, which you can find at the bottom of this post, with links to more information.

Positive Elementary Parent Partners (PEPP): I would also like to announce a new initiative in the elementary school. I am inviting parents to share their interest in joining a small group in service of the elementary community. If interested, please see the poster below for more information:

Tomorrow - Parent Coffee - CFG Edition: Technology Usage at ACS and at Home: Tomorrow we look forward to hosting parents as we talk about one of the most confounding concepts of parenting in the 21st Century - technology usage and children. Please check out the poster below for more information and to register:

STEAM Day Recap: Our STEAM Space Day was a wonderful success. It was so rewarding to work with your children across the elementary school as they took on challenges, collaborated with classmates, and worked to solve problems related to science, technology, engineering, art, and math. The day was incredible and we look forward to our next STEAM event, STEAM Family Night, scheduled for March 7, 2024!

Thanks so much for reading, I wish you a week of curiosity and discovery!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree

Elementary Principal

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Nov 26	27	28 • 815a Parent Coffee: CFG - Tech Usage at ACS and at Home	29	30	Dec 1	2
3	4	5	6	7 • 8:30-10a: ACS Open House • 830-230p: G5 Field Trip	8 • 815-915a Parent Cofee: Different Ways to Think about Math • 1230-3p G5 PBL Event	9
10	11	12 • Time TBC: KG3-G1 Holiday Concert	13 • Time TBC: G2-G5 Holiday Concert	14	15 • 1045-1145 - Class Parties • 1200p Whole School Dismissal • ~3p Report Cards Sent Home • December Break Begins	16

Monday, November 20, 2023

Dear Elementary Parents,

We find ourselves at the front of a short week, with a 4-day weekend drawing near. I know everyone is looking for a little break before the busy weeks leading up to December break. This week, though short, has some great learning opportunities and important announcements!

Space STEAM Day is this Tuesday! We are very much looking forward to a day of fun, imagination, and creative problem-solving. And a big thank you goes out to all of the parents who have helped to equip us with recycled materials to use on this day. We can't wait to get started! Children are encouraged to wear SPACE-themed clothes tomorrow. Another big thank you goes out to Mrs. Janet Inofuentes, who is our STEAM Coordinator and has helped to bring this special day to life! Thank you, Mrs. Janet!

Library Reminder: This is a friendly reminder that our elementary library is open on Tuesday mornings, from 8:00 until 8:45 for parents. Research findings have consistently found that there is nothing more impactful on a human being's success in life than having parents who read to them as children. Take advantage of our wonderful library - the largest collection of English books in Bolivia, I'm told!

Upcoming Parent Coffee: Technology Use at ACS and at Home. Please join us on Tuesday, November 28th at 8:15 am for a CFG Edition Parent Coffee focused on addressing family and parenting challenges related to technology. To learn more, or to register for the event, please scan the QR code on the poster below. We hope to see you there!

Food Drive for Casa Amandita: The Elementary School Leadership Council is continuing its food drive for Casa Amandita. We have received an incredible amount of food donations in the past week - our community is so generous. Thank you for your continued support! For more information on the food drive and the specific foods needed, click HERE. The drive ends on December 8th. 

Thanks for reading! I wish you a zesty and spirited week!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal

Monday, November 13, 2023

Dear Elementary Parents,
Seeing so many parents at our Parent Coffee on Child Protection at ACS this past Friday was a thrill. Our Parent Coffees, both the presentations and the CFG Editions are intended to bring you into the community, share with you the educational approaches we are taking as a school, for your children, and help to share perspectives and ideas that may benefit you as a parent. We all know there's not a more difficult job in the world than raising a child in these times. As an educational institution, it is our duty to not just settle for educating our students but to serve as a support and resource for parents as well. If you haven't joined a Parent Coffee yet, our next one is a "hot topic" in most households I know of; "Technology Use at ACS and at Home." We'll discuss screen time, how we use tech at school, and how to establish and use boundaries with your children. It's not intended to be the solution to every problem, but a time and space for you to give some thought to the role that technology plays in your household. For more information or to register, please see the poster below and scan the QR code. We hope to see you there!

Announced Fire Drill on Wednesday, November 15th at 9:00am: Our previously postponed evacuation drill has been rescheduled for this week. 

High School Friendship Games this week: This Thursday, ACS will be hosting teams from all over Bolivia for the annual Friendship Games! Below is the schedule - you are welcome to come on campus to watch any of the games, but please note that children must be supervised by a parent to attend. Thank you!

Open House for Prospective Families: On Thursday, December 7th, from 8:30 until 10:00 am, we will be hosting an Open House for prospective families. We ask for your support in getting the word out to your friends with children in other schools in La Paz! Thank you!

Art Class run by ACS Secondary Students: Parents of ACS! Are your kids into arts and crafts? Do you love seeing their pieces of art? Do you want an opportunity to have a free few hours on a Saturday morning? We are offering an art workshop for elementary kids every Saturday morning from 9 am to 12:30. It includes a 2D piece, a 3D piece, and a snack break for only 100bs! Your kid would work with ACS high schoolers with extensive art and teaching experience. For more information, contact +591 767 72004 (ESP) or +591 625 50878 (ENG).

Space STEAM Day is coming up next Tuesday, November 21st! Our students across elementary will be engaged in activities that challenge them to solve problems while learning about science, technology, engineering, art and math! We are so excited. We do need more recycled materials to prepare for this exciting day. Please see the poster to the right for more information! 

STEAM education, which incorporates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, plays an important role in nurturing students in ACS. The community helps little learners grow their curiosity by encouraging them to explore the world around them through hands-on experiences. Through STEAM activities, our students not only find meaning in education but they connect classroom lessons to real-life applications, fostering a deeper understanding of concepts. Furthermore, STEAM education raises awareness about the world, environment and its needs, instilling a sense of responsibility for the planet by teaching children about sustainability, innovation, and the role they can play in creating a better future. In essence, STEAM activities empower our students to become inquisitive, informed, and environmentally conscious global citizens.

Thanks for reading! I wish you a windy, warm week!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal

Monday, November 6, 2023

Dear Elementary Parents, 

Happy Monday everyone - thanks a million for your presence and support during last week's Halloween Costume Parade and ACS Halloween Fair. It was such a joy to have so many of you on campus, cheering on our young Cougars in the parade. Don't forget - next year, you're invited to participate in the costume parade too!

Child Protection Awareness Month: I mentioned on Class Dojo last week that this month is Child Protection Awareness Month at ACS. We have learning in store for students, teachers, and parents and we hope you will join us in our commitment to doing everything in our power to prevent child abuse and neglect. 

Parent Coffee: Child Protection at ACS - Next Friday, November 10, 2023, we will host a Parent Coffee presentation on our proactive approach to child protection & safeguarding. The team will share details on faculty training that takes place, the student-centered curriculum promoting safety rules, and what you can do, as parents to help keep your child safe from abuse and neglect. No registration is necessary and we hope to see you there!

Kindergarten Showcase Reminder: Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 7th at 8:30 am, we will host parents of prospective students in our Kindergarten 3 & 4 classes on campus. We would very much appreciate your help in getting the word out to families you know that may be interested. Thank you!

Scholastic Book Order Ongoing: In case you missed it in ClassDojo, we have a book order out to families at ACS. Please click this link for information on how to order books and other details. Orders are due this Friday. 

Thank you for reading. I wish you an adventurous and daring week!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree

Elementary Principal

Monday, October 30, 2023

Dear Elementary Parents,
We are happy to be back on campus with your children after the surprise ending to last week. We are in "rescheduling mode" now, and busy re-calendaring events while continuing to forge ahead into November and the remainder of Semester 1 of the 2023-24 school year. Please read on for some news regarding these rescheduled events and other events to look forward to:

Halloween Costume Parade: Our Halloween Costume Parade has been rescheduled for Wednesday, November 1st from 9:30 to 9:50 am. Parents are welcome - the event will take place on the Elementary Quad and parents will be asked to be on the stone walkways to observe the parade. Thanks!

Halloween Fair: Last Friday's Halloween Fair has been rescheduled for this Wednesday, November 1st. This was the ideal date since we do not have school on Thursday, November 2nd for All Saints Day. The event will still start at 6:00 pm and run until about 8:30 pm. The costume contest announced will also be taking place there. 

Parent Coffee: CFG Edition - Developing Skills to Help Children Regulate their Emotions is still on for tomorrow, from 8:15 until 9:15 am. The event will take place in the ES Library. Please register by clicking on the poster below. We really hope to see you there!

Kindergarten 3 & 4 Showcase Rescheduled: Our planned event for prospective parents of Kindergarten 3 & 4, for immediate placement or for the 2024-25 school year, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, November 7th at 8:30 am. We would greatly appreciate your help in getting the word out to your friends with 3- and 4-year-olds! 

Grade 5 Author Visit: Our Grade 5 writers are studying graphic novels in Writing currently, and who better to learn from than a local, published, award-winning graphic novelist! Today, 

Thanks so much for reading! I wish you an active and energetic week! 

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal

Monday, October 23, 2023

Dear Elementary Parents,
I hope you had a nice weekend with your family. We have a busy few days coming up, please see below for all of the information:

Halloween at ACS: On Friday, October 27th, we will have a Halloween Costume Parade on campus during the day. From 9:30 am until snack recess, students from KG3 through Grade 5 will be participating in a parade to show off their Halloween costumes in the quad by our amphitheater. Parents will be allowed on campus to watch the parade - it should last about 20 minutes.

To help our entire student body have great fun on Halloween, we are asking for parent support in helping your child pick an appropriate costume for school. We ask for costumes to not be graphically gory or overly frightening. We also ask for your support in not allowing costume weapons (guns, blasters, swords, etc.).

In the evening of Friday, October 27th, following our Halloween Costume Parade, ACS will be hosting our annual Halloween Fair starting at 6:00 pm. More details on this event will be coming soon! Thanks so much for your support!

MAP Parent Coffee: This past Friday we hosted Grade 1 through 8 parents at our Parent Coffee: Understanding Your Child's MAP Scores. We would like to thank everyone who was able to make it, and we remain available for your questions on how to read MAP scores, or how you can support your child's learning and growth at home! You can view the presentation here. 

Upcoming Parent Coffee CFG Edition: Developing Skills to Help Children Regulate their Emotions. On Tuesday, October 31st at 8:15 am, we are so happy to host our second Parent Coffee. We will be giving a presentation on ACS' approach to helping children label, understand, and regulate their emotions, and share some ideas on how you can support this learning at home. Following the presentation we will use a protocol or structured conversation to support parents in developing skills to help their children with their emotions with some especially challenging scenarios. To join, please click the poster to the right and scan the QR code. We hope to see you there!

Call for Recycled Materials for our Makerspace! We are collecting Makerspace materials! Our

Makerspace is a place where classes come together to practice creating, designing, building, and solving problems collaboratively. Our students develop mindsets of optimism, flexibility, resilience, and perseverance they take ordinary objects and build extraordinary creations!

Thanks for reading, I wish you a week of joy and smiles,

Eric Crabtree

Elementary Principal

Monday, October 16, 2023

Dear Elementary Parents,
I hope this note finds you and your family rested and recharged after a week away from school. We welcomed our dog to La Paz this past week, and our family has been overjoyed to see him adjusting to the altitude and attitude of this beautiful, vibrant city. Though the remainder of October is only a few weeks, it will be busy. Please see below for announcements on what's to come:

Help ACS Win $10,000: They say that money doesn't buy happiness, but it does help schools offer cutting-edge & responsive programming to its students. A group of passionate secondary students, known as The ACS Carbon Cutters are entering a contest to collect old/broken electronic devices to be recycled. The winning school wins a BIG money prize! Bring in your old/broken electronic devices, cables, charges, etc. during the week of Oct. 16 - Oct. 20. Thanks for your support!

Announced Fire Drill Tomorrow at 9:00 am: Tomorrow morning, ACS will have its first Fire/Evacuation Drill of the year. This is a normal procedure and the students, faculty and staff all take part to ensure that should the unimaginable happen, we are prepared to get everyone out of our buildings and away from fire quickly. All students have been told about the drill, what to expect, and have been shared our critical expectation - that the drill is conducted in silence. Should a real fire occur, adults may need to issue instructions to a class of students, so silence is practiced & expected. This drill will be followed by an unannounced drill later this year, per standard protocol. 

Parent Coffee: Understanding Your Child's MAP Scores, this Friday at 8:15 am: We are pleased to invite parents of students in Grades 1 through 8 to the elementary auditorium this Friday to help you understand what MAP tests are, how they are used, what they measure, and how ACS teachers use and parents can use the data to support your child's learning. Join us for some coffee, tea, fruit, and learning on this important topic! No registration is necessary for this event. 

ACS Halloween Fair next Friday, October 27th at ___: Creepy, spooky, and oh so much fun! ACS will be hosting a Halloween Fair on campus. Students and parents are welcome to attend. There will be trick or treating, a haunted house in the elementary auditorium, and enough witches and goblins to give even Harry Potter a scare.  

Upcoming Parent Coffee: CFG Edition - Developing Skills to Help Children Regulate their Emotions - On Tuesday, October 31st we are so happy to host our second Parent Coffee: CFG Edition.  We will be giving a presentation on ACS's approach to helping children label, understand, and regulate their emotions, and share some ideas on how you can support this learning at home. Following the presentation we will use a protocol or structured conversation to support parents in developing skills to help their children with their emotions with some especially challenging scenarios. Registration is requested, to register please scan the QR code in the poster below:

Thanks for reading, I wish you a week of friendship & laughter,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal

Monday, October 2, 2023

Dear Elementary Parents, 
Welcome to October! What a thrill the Family Day Picnic was on Saturday. I had a great time seeing so many of you, and your loving children enjoying this infamous community event. I very much look forward to our next big community gathering, our Halloween celebration. More details will be coming soon on that. We have Parent-Teacher Conferences on Wednesday and a weeklong break on the horizon. Please see below for more information on what's ahead:

Parent-Teacher Conferences: We are excited to welcome you on campus tomorrow, October 4th to meet with your child's teachers. If you still need to, please see your Class Dojo account for details on how to sign up. A few notes on PTCs:

1. Meetings are 20 minutes long. Please don't be late! Our teachers are packed with appointments all day, and will not be able to extend your meeting if you arrive late. If the conference does not cover all you hoped to cover, please feel free to request another appointment to continue the conversation.
2. Please do not bring your children to campus for these conferences; they are intentionally designed to be conferences between teachers and parents. 

Parent Coffee: CFG Edition this past Tuesday: We had 20 parents register for and attend this special edition parent coffee focused on raising independent and resilient children. We presented on the strategies that ACS uses to foster independence and resilience, and then facilitated structured conversations with the parents in attendance to talk through issues related to this topic. It was a great success and parents left feeling that they are not alone in the challenges they face within their families and with their children. Our next Parent Coffee will be on Friday, October 20th, focused on helping parents of children in grades 1-5 read and make sense of the MAP scores they'll be receiving that week. We will also have more details coming on our next Parent Coffee: CFG Edition in the coming weeks, we hope you will join us!

Report Cards will be shared, via email, on Friday afternoon!

Upcoming:

Thanks for reading, I wish you a week of clarity and action!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree

Elementary Principal

Monday, September 25, 2023

Dear Elementary Parents,
This is a big week in our elementary school! Our playground is opening for children, unofficially, tomorrow, and will open officially at Family Fun Day at 12:00pm on Saturday, September 30th. Be there to join the celebration!

I would like to take a moment to thank you all for entrusting ACS with your children. We had a marvelous Student Appreciation Day on Friday, with a fun performance by Locotito, burgers and hot dogs grilled by Dr. Crouse and myself, and a movie afternoon. The day was a great reminder of why we educators do what we do, and how thankful we are for your support and for leaving your most precious children with us during the days. I would also like to extend my deep gratitude to our Parent Reps who helped us serve the hot dogs and hamburgers on Friday. The whole event went very smoothly thanks to their generous help!

Just a friendly reminder that it's not too late to sign up for our Parent Coffee: CFG Edition on Tuesday, September 26th from 8:15-9:15am. More info is below:

On Tuesday, September 26th we are so happy to host our first Parent Coffee: CFG Edition. CFG stands for Critical Friends Group and is a tool that is commonly used in schools by teachers to improve their practices in the classroom. However, the structure is easily adaptable and useful for people from all walks of life, especially parents looking to improve their parenting skills!

This first Parent Coffee: CFG Edition will be focused on developing parenting skills and practices with the goal of raising independent and resilient children. Registration is required; we hope you will complete the form linked below and join us! The hour will start off with a 15-minute presentation on this theme by the Elementary Leadership Team, and then break out into collaborative groups to generate ideas and solve problems. To learn more. see the poster below and click on this link to register:

Thank you for reading. I wish you a week of inspired creativity!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree

Elementary Principal

Monday, September 18, 2023

Dear Elementary Parents, 
Welcome to Week 7 of the 2023-24 school year. Below, we have a number of important announcements for the coming weeks:

Parent/Teacher Conferences, October 4, 2023:
In past years, ACS Elementary ran two student-led conferences per year. I love student-led conferences; it's an important time for students to take some leadership and responsibility for their learning, and for parents to see their children through a slightly different lens than normal. Despite these positives, having student-led conferences in October poses several problems, namely the desire of parents to be able to sit down with their child's teacher and hear from the expert on how their child is doing socially, emotionally, and academically. I've received a number of requests recently to make the fall conference a Parent/Teacher Conference, rather than a Student-Led Conferences, and this makes good sense. So, please watch in the coming days for information on signing up for your Parent/Teacher Conference on Wednesday, October 4th. There will be no school that day and students will not be invited to the meetings. However, if you need to have your child with you, we will have adults in the library reading books and spending time with children while you attend your scheduled Parent/Teacher Conference.

Student Appreciation Day on Friday, September 22, 2023:
I am new to Student Appreciation Day, but it is a long-lived tradition here at ACS in Bolivia. We have a plan for a fun day of community building;
     • 8:40-9:40 am - Locotito the Magician will present to our students in the auditorium
     • Lunch- Dr. Crouse and I will be barbequing hamburgers. hot dogs and a vegetarian option
     • 1:30 pm - We will have movie screenings in the auditorium and theater. Students will be able to choose between two fun, age-appropriate movies. 
We are looking forward to celebrating our outstanding students next Friday!

MS Cougar Cup This Week:
Our Middle School girls' & boys' soccer and volleyball teams will be competing against local schools here on campus this week. Please see the schedule below for more information. All parents and students are welcome on campus to cheer on our Cougars!

Parent Coffee: CFG Edition on Tuesday, September 26th from 8:15-9:15am
On Tuesday, September 26th we are so happy to host our first Parent Coffee: CFG Edition. CFG stands for Critical Friends Group and is a tool that is commonly used in schools by teachers to improve their practices in the classroom. However, the structure is easily adaptable and useful for people from all walks of life, especially parents looking to improve their parenting skills!

This first Parent Coffee: CFG Edition will be focused on developing parenting skills and practices with the goal of raising independent and resilient children. Registration is required; we hope you will complete the form linked below and join us! The hour will start off with a 15-minute presentation on this theme by the Elementary Leadership Team, and then break out into collaborative groups to generate ideas and solve problems. To learn more or to register, please see the poster below or click on this link:

Thanks for reading, and have a courageous week!

Sincerely,

Eric Crabtree
Elementary Principal