Dear Team,

In this week's newsletter, please find our latest updates and important information, including:

A Message from the Principal
Special Shout-out
Update on Staff, Recruitment and reminders
Practical Information
- New Library Lunchtime Timetable
- Event & Activity Coverage Request
- Lunch Rotation for Secondary and Grades 7 & 8
- New Car Park Rules
Upcoming Events
- Coffee Morning with Parents
- 3-Way Conferences
- Bio Market | São Martinho Edition
- Book Club is Back: Reading Momo
Section Stories
- Baking Day with the Dreamers
- Exploring the Human Body
- A Journey into Prehistory
- Portuguese Mathematical Olympiad
- Performing Arts Showcase: an Afternoon of Talent
Act Together
- Vilarejo Social: Books that Open Doors
- Screens: It’s Complicated, so we talked about it
- Waste Less, Together
- National Pyjama Day
- News from the Kitchen

Dear Aprendizes families,

When I moved to Portugal, I was genuinely surprised to discover that meetings about students’ progress often took place without the students themselves. Sometimes, they were not involved in the conversation at all. Too often, these meetings seemed to be one-way communication, with teachers sharing judgements about what students did well and where they needed to improve.

I remember wondering: How can we have meetings about students’ learning without the students being part of them?

Learning is a relational process, and it requires ownership. We adults can plan, organise and support, but ultimately, it is our students who must do the learning. It all must start with them.

That means listening to where they are, what matters to them and what they want to work on - whether it is their maths grades, friendships, sleep, sports or contributing to our school community.

Research shows that when students reflect on their learning, set meaningful goals and participate in decisions, they develop greater ownership, engagement and confidence. This is why student voice is not an extra; it is an essential part of learning.

Next Wednesday, November 11, during our three-way conferences, students will set goals in our three key areas:

Well-being: What helps me feel healthy, happy and connected?
Academic achievement: What would I like to improve or understand better?
Engagement: How can I contribute more to my class and school community?

Together, students, parents and teachers will also reflect on how everyone can support these goals. In April, we will meet again to discuss what worked, what was challenging and what progress has been made.

This is how we bring our Aprendizes principles to life: sometimes we do things for our students, more often with them, and ideally by them. And we strive to speak with each other, not about each other.

We count on you to support your children by listening with curiosity, encouraging their reflections and helping them take small steps towards their goals. Your conference booking has already been made, and we look forward to seeing you next Wednesday.

Sunny regards,

Rikke

ABOUT THIS SPACE

This space is for colleagues, by colleagues — it’s not from the management, it’s from the team, for the team. It’s about valuing what we are together, recognizing the effort, care, and presence. If you’d like to thank a colleague, this is the place. It will be published in the next newsletter.

SHOUT OUT

A big thank you to Vanessa and Lorena for all their support and proactivity with communications, in supporting students and in the projects developed with them. (From Diogo Santos)

Thank you also to Laura Cercas for her ongoing support with computers, passwords and other IT matters for students in Grades 5 and 6. (From Diogo Santos)

A special thank you to Alexa Laryea and Chloe Jenden for all their hard work and dedication in preparing the Performing Arts Showcase. Thanks to them, our students took to the stage with confidence and treated everyone to an afternoon full of music and drama. (From TfD)

A heartfelt thank you to the whole team who made our Halloween celebrations possible. To everyone who prepared the classrooms, doors and parties, and to all who worked behind the scenes: thank you for your time, creativity and energy. It was this shared effort that made the day so special for our students. (From TfD)

A big thank you to Liz Nash for her commitment to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and for the care and attention she gives to every participating student. (From Laura Cercas)

A big thank you to Stephen Hakim for being the first to use our new school events coverage procedure. It makes it so much easier for us to do our work well and be properly prepared. (From Vanessa Fevereiro)

RECRUIT

At Aprendizes, we believe that YOU are the best person to identify and select your future colleagues. That's why we're implementing an active referral system. If you recommend a future colleague (and they confirm that you informed them about the position), you'll receive a €250 gross referral bonus!

NO EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ON 11 NOVEMBER

Due to the 3-Way Conferences, and in line with the annual calendar, there will be no extracurricular activities on Wednesday 11 November. Thank you for your understanding!

NEW LIBRARY LUNCHTIME TIMETABLE

The library has a new lunchtime timetable, designed to create a calmer routine and make it easier for students to know when they can visit. It will run as a trial until the end of the first term.

Library lunchtime: 13:00–14:10

Day	Open for
Monday	Primary
Tuesday	Middle & Secondary
Wednesday	Closed
Thursday	Middle & Secondary
Friday	Everyone

The library is closed daily from 12:00 to 13:00.
*On Wednesdays, if there is no assembly in the library, Primary students can come up at lunchtime.

On rainy days or event days, the timetable may change. Please share this new routine with your students!

EVENT & ACTIVITY COVERAGE REQUEST

Following your feedback and suggestions on how we cover school events, we’re introducing a simple process to make sure we can plan ahead and capture the moments that matter most to you. From now on, please submit your coverage requests by the 20th of each month for events and activities taking place the following month. This gives us time to organise the team and make sure every request gets the attention it deserves.

We have also set up a team on Microsoft Teams, a shared space for everyone, with different access permissions for each folder, to support collaboration between school staff and the Communications and Marketing team. It brings together photos by class and by event, an archive from previous years, image consent forms and bookings for event coverage. All in one place.

Thank you for your help, always!

LUNCH ROTATION FOR SECONDARY AND GRADES 7 & 8

From the week commencing Monday 2 November, Secondary and Grades 7 & 8 will alternate lunch times each week:

W/C 2 November: Secondary at 13:10 | Grades 7 & 8 at 13:20
W/C 9 November: Grades 7 & 8 at 13:10 | Secondary at 13:20

The rotation will continue in this pattern every week. Signage will be in place at the entrance and along the lunch queue to guide students. Thank you for your support in helping students settle into the new routine.

NEW CAR PARK RULES

From 2 November, new rules will apply in the school car park:

Staff may only park in the orange area.
The grey lane in the middle and the red area are reserved for parents and must not be used by staff.

Thank you all for your cooperation in helping keep the car park organised and safe for our whole community.

Pre-School

Primary

Middle

Secondary

Whole Community

Staff

COFFEE MORNING WITH PARENTS

On Friday 6 November, from 08:45 to 10:00, we will host another Parents’ Coffee Morning with our Principal and Head of Pre-School and Primary in the school refectory. Parents from all sections are very welcome to join us.

It’s a chance to strengthen the dialogue between families and the school, share ideas and stay up to date with upcoming activities and events. We look forward to seeing you there!

3-WAY CONFERENCES

SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, 11 November

Our 3-Way Conference Day is coming! This is a moment for our students to take charge of their learning. Each student will share their own reflection on how they are doing, both academically and beyond the classroom, and set the goals they want to achieve in the coming months.

It is a time to reflect together, with parents and head teachers by their side, because learning is a shared journey.

Please note there will be no lessons (for Primary, Middle and Secondary) on this day, and parents will have the opportunity to request childcare if needed.

BIO MARKET | SÃO MARTINHO EDITION

Friday, 13 November | 16:00–18:00 | The Tent

Autumn arrives at the Bio Market! For its second edition of 2026/27, the market celebrates São Martinho, with chestnuts and pumpkins setting the seasonal mood. Families, students and staff will be running stalls side by side with local producers, and our students will once again be in charge of their own stalls, from choosing what to sell to setting their prices. Come and discover organic and local produce, handmade and second-hand finds, food prepared by our students and live music, all in good company.

Meet Vilarejo Social

This edition, a representative from Vilarejo Social, the book club project in Portuguese prisons that our school now supports, will be at the market to present the project. Stop by to ask questions, find out how to volunteer or simply learn more about this initiative. You can also bring along your book donations!

For stallholders

If your stall has been confirmed, please remember to pay the participation fee (€4 per vendor, or €2 for students) at the school office by Tuesday, 10 November. Stalls cannot be held without prior payment.

For visitors

You don’t need a stall to join in. Come along, wander through the tent, taste, chat and take something home.

Questions

Write to biomarket@aprendizes.pt

BOOK CLUB IS BACK: READING MOMO

The Aprendizes Book Club 2026/27 continues on 17 November, from 18:30 to 20:00, in the Library. This time we’re reading Momo, by Michael Ende, in a conversation facilitated by Cristina Rodriguez and Ana Luísa Carneiro. A story about time, listening and what really matters, and the perfect excuse to slow down and talk about books together.

More information here: https://www.aprendizes.pt/clube-de-leitura-dos-aprendizes-2627

OPEN DAY FOR NEW FAMILIES

We are delighted to invite prospective families to our Open Day on November 24, from 9:00 to 10:30 AM.

Families will meet our Principal and our students, join a personalised tour of Preschool, Primary, Middle, or Secondary, and explore our vision and curriculum. Registration is required. Please encourage interested families to register early.

BAKING DAY WITH THE DREAMERS

It all started with an idea from the children themselves: the Dreamers suggested baking bread! At our school, children’s ideas are the starting point for many learning experiences, and this one was no exception.

We invited our chef, Joana Xardoné, who happily took on the challenge of teaching us. Everyone got stuck in, with each child helping to prepare the recipe, measuring the ingredients, mixing, kneading and shaping their own bread. Along the way there were plenty of questions, discoveries and, of course, flour everywhere!

Lunchtime brought the best part: tasting the bread we had made ourselves. And because good things are meant to be shared, the rest went home so that families could enjoy it too.

EXPLORING THE HUMAN BODY

Grade 4 students are exploring the different systems of the human body through projects in which they research, create and present what they have learnt. And they are not doing it alone: throughout the project, parents join their children in the classroom to research and learn side by side.

The materials they are creating, such as posters and slide presentations, will be showcased at the end. It is a project that brings school and families together and shows how, at our school, we learn by doing.

A JOURNEY INTO PREHISTORY

On 21 October, the Humanities Department welcomed John Iglar from Prehistoric Portugal for a Prehistory workshop with all Grade 5 students. As well as exploring Prehistory in general, students learnt more about Portugal’s own prehistoric past.

The workshop was hands-on and interactive: students examined real prehistoric stone tools, built timelines and put some common myths about our ancestors to the test.

PORTUGUESE MATHS OLYMPIAD

On 4 November, our students from Grades 5 to 12 took part in the first round of the 45th Portuguese Mathematical Olympiad, organised by the Portuguese Mathematical Society.

The competition is divided into four categories: Pre-Olympiad (Grade 5), Junior (Grades 6 and 7), Category A (Grades 8 and 9) and Category B (Grades 10 to 12). In every category, the test goes beyond everyday classroom exercises, challenging students’ logical reasoning, creativity and problem-solving skills.

Students in the Junior, A and B categories who qualify will move on to the second round in January, with the chance to reach the National Final in Guimarães, from 18 to 21 March 2027. For Grade 5 students, this was the single round of the Pre-Olympiad.

Well done to all participants for their enthusiasm and dedication!

PERFORMING ARTS SHOWCASE: AN AFTERNOON OF TALENT

On Thursday 22 October, the library was filled with music and drama for the Performing Arts Showcase, featuring performances by students from Grades 7 to 12.

Throughout the afternoon, the audience enjoyed solo, duo and group performances with a wonderfully varied repertoire, from songs by Marisa Monte, Edith Piaf, The Beatles, Nirvana and Amy Winehouse to drama pieces, including an extract from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

A special thank you to Alexia Laryea and Chloe Jenden for their work with the students in preparing the show.

Congratulations to all the students who took to the stage!

VILAREJO SOCIAL: BOOKS THAT OPEN DOORS

Our school is now a partner of Vilarejo Social, a project that brings book clubs to Portuguese prisons.

Since February 2026, around 35 women at the Santa Cruz do Bispo Women’s Prison, in Matosinhos, have met every month to read, talk and reflect together, supported by a group of volunteers.

The project sees literature as a right for everyone and a tool for personal growth. At each meeting, participants receive a copy of the book they will discuss at the next session, so every book makes a difference.

Our school is supporting this cause by collecting new or good-condition copies of the following books:

Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid
Uma Vida à Sua Frente (The Life Before Us) by Romain Gary
O Caderno Proibido (Forbidden Notebook) by Alba de Céspedes

Vilarejo Social also welcomes volunteers. To find out more about the project or how to get involved, visit their Instagram or email vilarejoleitura@gmail.com.

Thank you to everyone who joins this initiative!

SCREENS: IT’S COMPLICATED, SO WE TALKED ABOUT IT

On 3 and 4 November, we hosted the Workshop Screens: It’s Complicated, run by the Digital Well-being and Safety Committee. Created by parents, for parents, the session combined honest facts, practical ideas for everyday life and an open conversation about screen use at home, free from judgement and with plenty of room to share questions and experiences.

We were delighted to see so many parents and staff members there. Thank you to everyone who took part and helped make this conversation so rewarding. After all, changing habits is easier when we do it together!

WASTE LESS, TOGETHER

Aprendizes took part in COMBINE, a European project exploring how to reduce food waste in schools, workplaces and homes. Coordinated in Portugal by Professors Iva Pires and Sónia Nobre from NOVA University of Lisbon, it worked with our school community and families for over a year, testing simple, practical actions. Household food waste fell by 33%. Read the full interview on Greensavers to discover what we learned.

NATIONAL PYJAMA DAY

Once again, we’re celebrating National Pyjama Day on 20 November!

Students and staff are invited to come to school in their pyjamas, and we’re also backing the Casa dos Pijamas solidarity campaign. Students are invited to take their very first solidarity action, collecting small donations from their families. The funds will go to Mundos de Vida, a family foster care network. Sweet dreams, and see you in your pyjamas!

NEWS FROM THE KITCHEN

INTERNATIONAL DAYS IN THE KITCHEN:
27 NOV | United States of America

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