The month of December is short with only 15 instructional days. There are some fun upcoming events for you and your family.  We have the Book Fair; the Shop and Stroll; Student Art Auction Preview Dinner; Winter Student Performance, and of course another Pajama Day!  Please read the descriptions below of these fun activities.  I hope to see all of you at this great events this month.

As we prepare for the Winter Break and the end of the fall semester, I encourage you to speak with your child/children about world news and help them continue their growth as Internationally Minded citizens.   Make the discussion age appropriate for the students.  Here are some examples of things you could explore through the internet.

• how other countries celebrate the beginning of winter
• monitor the weather around the world
• time zones and there relevance to a country's culture
• politics, health issues, poverty
• In what ways are countries dependent on each other, financially, politically, etc....

IB describes an internationally minded individual as one who, "recognizes their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, and helps to create a better and more peaceful world.  The attributes of the IB Learner Profile that we discuss in our classrooms and in the Backpack are those of internationally minded individuals." International Baccalaureate Organization (2012).

I recommend that you take a look at the International Baccalaureate website at www.ibo.org  and review the current IB World Magazine article entitled The Global Generation.   It clearly articulates the type of world our children are inheriting and the type of education that we need to provide for them.  

IB emphasizes that we, as educators and parents, recognize "the need to prepare students for the social and moral challenges that await them in such a complex world. The traditional academic disciplines alone will not prepare our young people for such challenges. Our students must develop the necessary skills, habits of mind and the moral and ethical values to be able to understand and manage the interconnectivity and complexity of the modern world." IB Diploma Programme: From principles into practice (2009).

This is why IB schools are so important and why Corrales International School is not your typical traditional school.  We are striving to create internationally minded global citizens that can take their place as leaders of tomorrow in government, environment, sciences, healthcare, and any other career field that has yet to be created or imagined.

I want to thank you for all your continued support and for believing in Corrales International School.   I hope you can attend the upcoming family activities and help us celebrate our amazing school community  with your attendance and volunteerism. Remember it really does take a "village" to raise a child.

Respectfully,

Dr. Elsy Diaz

Head of School