EBI al Día March 22, 2012

Dear EBI Families:

We hope you have had a great week!

It is very exciting for me to announce this week that EBI has just received provisional membership to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)! This is an important organization for resources, best practices, networking and professional development opportunities, among others. The NAIS stamp of approval is an important one in the independent school world and education generally, and NAIS plays a key role nationally in forming and establishing standards of excellence for education in the pre-collegiate years.

On another note, last week was an exciting one for EBI and other independent schools in the East Bay. Friday, March 16 was the day that incoming families needed to accept their offers for admission, if not their seats would be offered to other students. This is a hectic and hairy process for families and for schools! We are excited to welcome many new families to our community for next year, and we hope you will join us in welcoming them on April 28 when we will have a special play date for all 2012-2013 EBI families!

As you know, reflective is one of the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. This applies to all of us, and an important part of reflection is soliciting feedback from others. In that vein, at EBI we assess all employees' performance annually. Recently, teachers went through a process of self-evaluation and will have their final evaluations in May. Families will have the opportunity to give the school feedback on a variety of issues in a family survey also in May. And, of course, the EBI Board of Trustees, creates an opportunity for me to improve my work by conducting an annual performance evaluation. To that end, the board has randomly selected families to respond to a survey about my work. Since they are conducting a 360 degree assessment this year, they will also be collecting feedback from faculty and staff, the board itself, and, naturally, I will complete a self-evaluation. So if you receive an invitation to participate in this random survey, please support my growth and development by completing it!

Signing off on another incredible week at EBI and wishing you a great weekend with your children!

Jon

Get Your Hacienda del Sol Tickets before the Sun Sets!

Hacienda del Sol is on the horizon - April 14th being the actual day of the event. Everyone should be receiving their personal invitations in the mail shortly. We can already hear the music, smell the food, and visualize the crazy amount of bidding that is going to go on!! Get the "Before the Sun Sets" ticket price - at $95 - the cost increases after April 6th. Visit: http://auctions.readysetauction.com/escuelabilingueinter. After you receive the Gala invitation, you will have several options available to respond and purchase tickets, which include going online or via mail. If you opt to bring your response and Gala ticket payment physically to EBI, please place all necessary information in the return envelope (which is part of your invitation package) and leave it in the black drop-off box at the entrance of either the East or West Campus.

Even closer within reach is the Online Auction, which starts on March 30th. Forget what's said in any of the Bay Area society pages, the real place to be seen and heard is actually in the Alcatraz parking lot that Friday morning (March 30th) to celebrate the launch of the Online Auction in style!!! Peet's has generously donated some brew, so plan on looking hip while sipping on great coffee and perusing auction items that will NOT be available at the Gala event. Interestingly, it's also a great time and place to buy your Gala tickets!!

The infamous Casita is still on its travels - and has now evolved into a fully fledged house (complete with a variety of inhabitants, rock garden, flowering bush and bright red door). There is still space to add your own personalization - keep your eye out as the next potential recipient!!

Meet the EBI Board of Trustees!

In this new Al Dia series, "Why I serve", we will periodically introduce you to a member of the EBI Board of Trustees, giving you a glimpse into the make-up of the Board and the reasons why these
individuals have taken on this important work on behalf of the school.

Name: Erica Terry Derryck, age 38, hometown New York, NY

Board Service/EBI positions held:

I am currently in the second year of my second, three-year term. I will term off the EBI Board of Trustees in June 2013.
Outgoing Vice Chair, EBI Board of Trustees
Chair, EBI Board of Trustees Ad-Hoc Communications Committee
Member, EBI Board of Trustees, Committee on Trustees
Former Chair, EBI Board of Trustees, Committee on Trustees
Former Member, EBI Board of Trustees, Advancement Committee
Board of Trustees Liaison to the Diversity Committee

EBI connection: My fourth grader Oscar has been at EBI since it started and my first grader Nadia came to EBI last year for kindergarten. I am married to David Derryck, who is the current EBIPA
chair.

Life outside of EBI: Apart from watching too much bad TV, I spend my time outside of EBI working as the Global HR communications manager at Gap Inc.. This is a position I took on just a few months ago after serving nearly four years as Communications Director in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.

Fun fact: My Spanish accent is good, but my comprehension is bad!

Why I serve: Serving on the EBI Board of Trustees is an incredibly rewarding and demanding job! I serve on the Board because I went to an independent school back east, and I know how important a board can be in the life of a school - especially a school early in its development like EBI. I wanted to be a part of making certain that EBI is living the mission that drew me to it by helping to set policy and ensuring that the leadership of the school has the support it needs to achieve these goals.

Having also been one of a handful of students of color in the various classrooms I have had the privilege of learning in, I know what it's like to not to feel like you have a seat at the table. I bring that experience and perspective to my work on the EBI Board. So it's hugely important to me as a Board member that I do my part to keep our Board focused on fostering a culture at EBI that is inclusive and accessible. Whether it's a conversation about financial aid policy, tuition increases, supporting admissions outreach or engaging with our new neighbors in Emeryville, I come to every discussion with my personal filter of what it was like to be the fish out of water. I ask our board to think about that perspective when we're making decisions.

Serving on the EBI Board has also allowed me to bring my professional skills to bear in a way that allow me to contribute to the life of the school. This is important for me as a working mother who doesn't have a ton of time to volunteer during school hours.

The EBI Board of Trustees is responsible for setting policy and ensuring the school's long-term viability through best fiscal and administrative practices. The Board of Trustees has several standing committees which address finance, board governance, advancement, and facilities. Additionally, ad-hoc committees are periodically formed. Currently there are two ad-hoc committees on tuition assistance and communications. If you are interested in learning more about the Board of Trustees or have specific feedback or questions for me please email: erica_terry@hotmail.com.

Erica Terry Derryck

EBI Board of Trustees

Last Diversity Workshop for Parents this Year!

Talking With Our Children About Diversity: Deepening and Practicing Skills

Wednesday March 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

EBI Cafeteria, East Campus

Building on the previous Parent Education Workshops we will explore and practice strategies using real-life scenarios and role-plays.Come share, listen and expand your skills in navigating this important and sometimes challenging terrain.

All adult family members, faculty and staff are welcome!Facilitators will review material from the previous events.Participation in prior workshops is not necessary.

Pizza (no charge!) available at 6:00 pm

Childcare provided (RSVP to Gloria Costas by Tues. 3/27, 4:00 pm)

Contact Gloria at: gcostas@ebinternacional.org

Sports Day Is Coming!

Save the date! Friday, March 23, we will have a theme day at both campuses: Sports Day! Be ready with your sports wear.

Pre-Kinder: Let's Dance

Pre-Kinder students are having the opportunity to discover themselves through the magic of movement. Every week students are discovering the fundamentals of dance and choreography while learning about diverse music, language and rhythms from cultures around the world. In the photo, Pre-Kinder students are learning basic dance moves and combinations from different countries across the continents!

Kindergarten: How the World Works

Kindergarteners have begun a new Unit of Inquiry, it is titled: "Changes...Everything Changes." To start their inquiries, the students brought a shoebox full of recycled solid materials from home. They began identifying the characteristics and properties of the items, and classifying them accordingly. Next week they'll explore liquids, and the following, gases.

First Grade: Expression through Body Movement

Body Expression. First Grade First graders participated in an hour-long workshop organized by Holly Shaw, EBI Parent, and our physical education teacher, Luís Guerra. Students were able to express themselves through body movement and dance. The students listened to various types of music (upbeat, relaxing and dynamic) and moved their bodies based on the sounds they heard and their individual artistic expression. This workshop was engaging and open to their interpretation but students also had to demonstrate their ability to be good communicators and balanced because they had to follow the instructions provided by Holly. Through this workshop, students also had an opportunity to experience first hand that music also evokes emotions, ideas and values which help us develop our imagination.

Second Grade: Using Different Sources of Information to Inquire!

During their units of inquiry students use different sources of information to inquire. In this photo Second Graders are enjoying their time at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) where they investigated about how different cultures have made California so rich in traditions and diversity.

Third Grade: Exploring the Universe!

Third Grade students went to NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. While there, students had the opportunity to take a virtual tour through the Universe (beginning in our solar system and ending with the Oort cloud). Students also looked at exhibits including model rockets and a model space station. They also saw actual moon rocks which are on display there, and had an opportunity to get questions answered by NASA employees.

Fourth and Fifth Grade: Developing Communication Skills

The fourth and fifth grade students are inquiring into the use of "conectores lógicos" - a series of words that help the writer to link ideas and establish their relationship. Students analyzed different examples and wrote a story using them.

In this photo, we see a group of students explaining the way in which they connected ideas and the kinds of relationship they established between them.

Planning Language Arts Learning Experiences

As part of our school's professional development work the Pre-Kinder teachers met with EBI Language Arts Coordinator, Pilar Beccar-Varela, to discuss the language arts learning experiences they have been creating during the units of inquiry, share their best practices and get tips from their colleagues for teaching pre-literacy through reading alouds. During the meeting teachers planned out a reading aloud sequences using books that will allow the students to explore the central ideas of the units of inquiry.

Reflecting on Math Practices

As part of our school's professional development work the Lower School teachers met with Alexandra Alquait, our Math Coordinator, to discuss assessment in math and to continue developing instruments. During the meeting they shared the instruments they have been using during the year, to assess their students' math investigations and discussed what has been working best with their students. These conversations suppor them to continue improving the way they assess, and use this information to apply best practices in their class.

¡Pregúntale a la Especialista de Aprendizaje!

How do we know the difference between b and d? What about p and q? Visual discrimination skills, the ability to see small differences between similar items, play a tremendous role in learning for children of all ages. These skills are especially important as children learn to read, to write and to work with numbers. Each letter and each number has its own unique shape that must be recognized by children so that they can be confident and successful readers, writers and mathematicians! Strong visual discrimination skills are necessary to be able to distinguish subtle differences in letters, numbers and words (such as eat and cat, or now and won). So when you look at oranges and tangerines in the store - ask your child: How are they different? How are they the same? Look for daily activities to practice visual discrimination skills with your children - you'll be surprised how many you can find!

Desde un rincón lejano de la biblioteca...

With support from everyone in the EBI community, the library has just processed our 1,100th book since October, increasing our collection by a full 25%! Up for cataloging today? Meet: Hamamelis, Miosotis y el señor Sorpresa by Ivar Da Coll, Leyendas de América by Silvia Dubovoy and Nelson's Mandela's Favorite African Folktales.

Important Dates

March 23 - Sports Day
March 28 - Parent Diversity Workshop 6:30 - 8:30
April 20 - Día de Aventura
April 23 - 27 - Spring Break
April 28 - 2012 - 2013 Family Play Date
May 10 - EBIPA Meeting