Our 8th grader Clara Kei March Okuyama was received by His Royal Highness King Felipe VI as winner of the competition What Does Being a King Means to You?. Clara Kei and 41 children who were awarded in 2013 and in 2014 spoke with the King and presented him their projects about the Spanish monarchy.
Clara Kei went to Madrid with her parents and our teacher Ms. Asunción Barrachina. “We had the awards ceremony on Sunday, October 26, during an official dinner. On Monday morning there was an audience with the King. All our projects were exhibited and just one minute before I reviewed my work to be sure what I could explain about it. When the King came I was really surprised”, Clara Kei recalls.
Organized by FIES Foundation the competition What Does Being a King Mean to You? is open to students ages 9 to 14. Students can prepare essays, sculptures, handcrafts or multimedia projects describing the Spanish monarchy. Here at American School of Valencia the Elementary teacher Ms. Asunción Barrachina coordinates the participation of the 6th grade students as a complement of the Social Studies Curriculum. Our school has been competing since 2006. We have a history of success. Past winners include Sergio Gimeno in 2009 and Ana Villena in 2010.
Works awarded in 2013 and 2014 are now exhibited in the Central Gallery of the Royal Palace in Madrid.