We have a team of volunteers collaborating in a number of Preschool and Elementary classes. They are ASV High School students(most of them in Grades 9, 10 and 11) who wish to have a volunteering experience and choose the ASV Summer Program during the first or second fortnight.
These young members of the ASV community play a valuable role helping our teachers. Additionally, the volunteers offer our Summer students an additional opportunity to practice listening and speaking skills.
Summer students may experience first-hand what diversity is. As an IB World School, the American School of Valencia is the school of choice for international families relocating to Valencia. During the 2022-2023 academic year, international students represented 41% of the student population and all of them together made 60 different nationalities.
The Summer Program leadership team is pleased to see how our summer program is gradually mirroring that reality: “In 2023, we have enrolled over 50 international students from thirteen different countries,” Ms. Scarlett Casas explains. “It is the largest number ever in the history of the program. This has contributed to consolidating the Advanced English Learners program.”
Most of those students are following the Advanced English learners program, based on their prior language level. The specific lesson plan covers three areas: Language Arts, Science and Arts. “Every week they read a lot and teachers guide them in a variety of writing projects,” Ms. Casas describes.
Some of our international families are spending the summer in Valencia. By joining the Summer Program, children participate in a learning activity and have a chance to make new friends. Here are some frequent answers when they are asked about these three weeks on campus:
It is cool to go to another school for vacations
Teachers are kind. They are always trying to do things to make us happy
ASV is a very unique school. I can learn a different language. My favorite part is sport
I can make more friends here
Behind these experiences there are two major aspects of the ASV experience: offering a caring learning environment and preparing globally-conscious students for an interconnected world.
Countries in this edition of the ASV Summer Program (in addition to Spain): Belgium, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, Italy, Israel, The Netherlands, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Venezuela.
Students enjoy two different field trips during their time at ASV. During the second week, Elementary classes traveled to Segorbe to spend the day at Segóbriga Park. Students were delighted with the pool with slides and waterfalls.
Preschool groups had an enjoyable day at Mas del Capellà, a School Farm. The activity was divided into three experiences or moments:
Meeting the animals: children could see geese, ducks, peacocks, water turtles, rabbits, guinea pigs, cows, donkeys, horses and goats. They also were invited to feed the goats as well as Pirata (the cow), Chocolate and Vanilla (the donkeys), and Jack (the horse).
A ride around the farm: everybody had a lot of fun in this carriage ride,
Lunch break followed by several workshops: Each group had the most suitable activity to their age: cookies, recycling, and basics on herbs.
“Kids really enjoyed this day and were able to apply what they learned in class, since this visit is aligned with the Summer Program handbook,” Ms. Scarlett Casas, our coordinator said.
American School of Valencia isintegrating into the Summer Program curriculum the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Students learn what the SDGs are and reflect on the global challenges identified in each one. Each class achieves this learning through activities adapted to their age.
One way to reinforce what students learned in the first two weeks was the Sustainable Development Goals Olympics held on Friday, July 15, 2023. Elementary, Teens and the STEAM groups have participated in a gymkhana inspired by the SDG. The way the challenges were designed help students to identify global challenges such as zero hunger, promotion of peace and justice, clean water and sanitation, among many others.
“Students were very engaged in the games. They demonstrated that by working together as a team they could solve problems and complete different challenges,”Ms. Jackie Paarhuis, SP Assistant Coordinator, points out.
A similar activity will be held again during the last week of classes.
During the Summer Program, American School of Valencia implements the Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) teaching framework. PBIS is part of the ASV methodology and teaches students four behavioral expectations that contribute to enjoying an optimal learning environment and then strengthens them through positive reinforcement.
The four PBIS expectations implemented in the ASV Summer Program make together the word CARE:
Come Prepared
Act Responsible
Respect Others
Speak in English
When students complete actions aligned with the CARE Values, they are recognized by earning a Dojo point. The total achieved by each class is taken into account in a weekly ranking and those with the highest number of accumulated points receive a diploma at the end of the week. Here are the students who recevied a diploma this past week.
Thefirst week of classesis over! We are sure that students will have many things to tell about their teachers and fellow students in the Summer Program.
Monday was focused onwelcoming students and facilitating the transitionto the Summer Program routines. Starting on Tuesday, all the groups have been following their specific schedule with all the planned activities: a combination of English classes with park time, sports at the ASV Athletic Center and swimming time in the pool.
The first week finished with theFourth of July celebration. The Summer Program team invited students to come wearing red, blue or white clothing. The Preschool classes had special celebrations in the Preschool park. Elementary classes participated in colorful parades to display the special crafts made during the week. TheTeenssection had special assemblies in the theater.
ASV closed the registration process for the 2023 edition of the Summer Program on Thursday, June 29, 2023. Thank you to al of those families who have chosen our program.
Teachers as well as the school office are preparing for the first day of students on campus this coming Monday. Looking forward to see them!
Our Summer Program will begin in two weeks! Those families who already registered will soon receive detailed information on the class placement and access to the student handbook. Remember that the registrations completed in June have a discount for last placements. Please, see the updated fees here.
ASV is continuing to accept applications for the Summer Program 2023. English Language Learners, Advanced English Learners and STEAM Program are the three available pathways this year.
Registrations completed in May have a discount for last placements. Please, see the updated fees here.
We invite the ASV Community to share with other families their child’s experience in the Summer Program. This way, more students will enjoy an enriching experience in which language learning is combined with art, games, sports and fun off-campus activities.
The ASV Summer Program has three different pathways and all of them follow the philosophy and the teaching methods that make ASV the leading international school in Valencia.
Focus on communication skills: Students learn English by reading, listening and using language at all times.
A truly immersion program: in the classroom, on the transition to the lunchroom, playing in the park, during the swimming time… we ensure that all of our staff promotes the use of English in a wide range of situations and contexts.
Collaborative learning and exploration: both our Preschool workbook and the National Geographic summer books are designed to spark student’s curiosity.
Attention to individual differences and positive support: our teachers are giving continuous feedback so that students realize how much they are learning.
We invite you to explore the three itineraries (English Language Learners, Advanced Learners and STEAM Program) and discover the ASV Difference. Enroll your child as soon as possible, many groups could be completed by the end of May!
