Dear Team,
In this week's newsletter, please find our latest updates and important information, including:
Dear Students, Parents, Guardians and Staff,
As the school year 2025/26 has now come to its final close, I would like to thank each and every one of you for the journey we have shared over the past year.
There is a saying that "if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together." This year has reminded me how true those words are. Walking together does not always mean that every step is easy, but it makes the journey richer, more meaningful, and far more enjoyable. Thank you for your trust, your support, your curiosity, and your commitment. It has been a privilege to share this year with you.
The Greek poet C. P. Cavafy, in his beautiful poem Ithaka, reminds us that the true value of a journey is found not only in reaching the destination but in everything we experience along the way. School is much the same. While we naturally look ahead to the next milestone, it is often the moments in between that stay with us the longest—the friendships, the projects, the challenges we overcame, and the laughter we shared.
As you begin your summer, I encourage you to spend a little time looking through our Yearbook. Revisit the memories, celebrate the achievements, and talk about the moments that made this year special. Every journey has smooth roads and bumpy paths, unexpected detours, joyful discoveries, and challenges to overcome. We cannot always choose the direction our journey takes, but we can choose the stories we tell about it. Those stories become part of who we are and help shape our community.
Attached to this newsletter, you will also find our Family Handbook, which contains the most important information you will need to prepare for the start of the new school year. We encourage you to read through it before September so that everyone can begin the year feeling informed and ready.
Thank you once again for being part of our community. I am deeply grateful for the moments we have shared together, and I already look forward to continuing our journey when we return at the beginning of September.
Until then, I wish you and your families a wonderful, restful and joyful summer.
Warm regards,
Rikke
THIS YEAR IN IMAGES
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 special thanks to Patrícia Almeida for completing the Preschool PLNM assessments in record time. (From PC Team)
A special shout-out to Joana Geraldo for the great energy she brings to PLNM in Middle School. (From PC Team)
A heartfelt thank you to Daniela Noivo for supporting Mathematics in Middle School throughout the year. (From Teresa Cruz)
A big thank you to the TFD for steering the ship through sunshine and storms. (From Rikke Friis Mikkelsen)
A special thanks to the Science Team for inspiring students through iTEACH. (From TfD)
A special shout-out to everyone involved in MUN for creating such a valuable experience. (From TfD)
Thank you to everyone involved in the Arraial for making it such a joyful celebration. (From TfD)
A special shout-out to the Preschool Team for their strength, consistency and collaboration. (From TfD)
To everyone working through the summer to keep things on track and ready for our return - thank you. Your dedication doesn't go unnoticed, and we're truly grateful. (From TfD)
Thank you, Diogo Santos, for the brilliant organisation of the Summer School and to all assistants, teachers and volunteers!
RECRUITMENT
At Aprendizes, we believe that every member of our team is the best person to identify and recommend future colleagues.
We always have open positions available on both our LinkedIn page and the “Work With Us” section of our website, so please feel free to share them with anyone you believe might be a great fit.
For the next school year (26/27) we will need:
Primary Co-Teacher
Drama Teacher
UPDATED STAFF HANDBOOK NOW AVAILABLE
The updated Staff Handbook for the 2026/27 academic year is now available for consultation. We kindly ask all staff to read it.
FIRST WEEK BACK: INTERACTIVE SCHEDULE
To help everyone prepare for our return, the interactive schedule for our first week back at work is now available.
3 READS FOR THE SUMMER
Some books change the way we look at the classroom. Here are three that resonate with what we believe in — active learning that puts the child at the centre and treats mistakes as part of the journey.
Pedagogy of the Oppressed, by Paulo Freire, is the essential starting point: a critique of education that merely "deposits" knowledge, and a case for teaching that is dialogic and transformative. Mindset, by Carol Dweck, reveals how our attitude towards effort and failure shapes learning — an invaluable read for families and educators alike. And Creative Schools, by Ken Robinson, argues for an education that values creativity and each learner's individuality, rather than one model for all.
Happy reading.
3 STORIES ABOUT LEARNING
Not all learning happens in the classroom. Here are three suggestions for the summer — a series, a documentary and a film — that celebrate teachers who inspire, ideas that stay with us, and the courage to think for oneself.
Merlí (series) follows a philosophy teacher who challenges his students to see the world differently — sharp, provocative and full of life. Most Likely to Succeed (documentary) steps inside a school that replaced exams and isolated subjects with real projects, leaving us to ask what education is truly for. And Dead Poets Society (film) still reminds us, decades on, of the power of a teacher who helps students find their own voice.
Happy watching.
24 AUG | Back to school — new staff members, TFD, HoD and all non-teaching staff must be at school. Teaching staff can choose to work online or in person.
25 AUG | Back to school — all staff
28 AUG | Happy Hour | 17:00-19:00
1 SEP | Welcome Day (New Students)
1 SEP | New preschool students and parents | 09:00–11:00 | Classroom/Amphitheatre
1 SEP | New primary students and parents | 09:00–11:00 | Library/Classroom
1 SEP | New middle school students and ALL parents (new and current) | 11:00–13:00 | Library/Classroom
1 SEP | New secondary school students and ALL parents (new and current) | 14:00–16:00 | Library/Classroom
2 SEP | Start of Term 1
7 SEP | Preschool starts (New Students)
8 SEP | Grade 4 primary parents | 16:00–18:00 | Library/Classroom
10 SEP | Preschool parents | Parents Meetings | 16:30-17:30 | Classroom
10 SEP | Grade 3 primary parents | 16:00–18:00 | Library/Classroom
15 SEP | Grade 2 primary parents | 16:00–18:00 | Library/Classroom
17 SEP | Grade 1 primary parents | 16:00–18:00 | Library/Classroom
SAVE THE DATE | PARENTS’ MEETINGS
As at the start of every school year, we invite parents to join our September meetings, where we will share the first key information for the year ahead. Families will receive further practical details before then.
