Dear Team,
In this week's newsletter, please find our latest updates and important information, including:
Open Day to New Families
Highlight Event - Biomarket (October’s Edition)
Highlight Event - Volleyball Teachers vs Students
Highlight - Celebrating World’s Food Day
Bi-weekly Menu
Country Days in Our Kitchen
Preschool Embraces Zero Waste with Halloween Pumpkin Project
Let’s Stay Present: a Phone-Free School
Embracing Presence during Recess
Communication Guidelines
Join our Winter Animal Care Campaign
Monthly Game Jam
Save the Date: Regeneration Festival
Exciting New Maker Space Coming Soon
Rock Climbing Wall at Aprendizes
FieldTrip Calendar
Get to know our Partnerships
A huge shout out to Marta, Berta, Inês, Maria Teixeira, Filipa, Diana, Nicoly, Janet and Salomé from Preschool! You are an extraordinary team: hard-working, proactive, full of initiative, good humor and, above all, an immense affection for children. Each of you brings a unique energy, and together you form an unstoppable combination! Thank you for being just the way you are!
And a special shout out to Inês, who is almost finished retake exams season! Congratulations on organising everything—your dedication and perseverance are truly inspiring!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of a transformative initiative at Aprendizes: our new Action Research Program, kicking off this week! Thanks to a generous donation, we are taking bold steps to elevate the quality of education at our school, empowering both educators and students alike.
The core theme driving this program is “Student Agency & Active Learning”—the belief that students thrive when they have a voice and active role in their learning journey. To explore this, 24 teachers and other staff, will embark on a six-month action research journey, diving into various innovative themes aimed at enhancing our teaching methods and overall school experience.
This innovative program will be led by Phil Whitehead, an expert in the field of action research with vast experience in supporting international educators through professional development. Phil previously established a Master’s program at Oxford Brookes University, focusing on action research for educators, and has been leading similar programs in schools worldwide. He will be working closely with our Head of Secondary and Academics, David Booth, who successfully implemented a similar program at his previous school and is bringing his expertise to guide this exciting new chapter at Aprendizes.
TODAY | THE TROUBLEMAKER'S GUIDE TO... “Refugees and Inequalities” (4 PM TO 5 PM)
TODAY & 25 OCT | ESTORIL CONFERENCES ”Time to Rethink”
25 OCT | HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS (10 AM to 2 PM)
01 NOV | INTERSCHOOL CHESS TOURNAMENT
05 NOV | BOOK CLUB APRENDIZES (6:30 PM)
06 NOV | MATHEMATICS OLYMPIADS (Grade 5-12) (3:30 PM to 5:30 PM)
08 NOV | PARENTS COFFEE MORNINGS (8:45 AM)
12 NOV | OPEN DAY TO NEW FAMILIES AT APRENDIZES (9:00 AM)
OPEN DAY TO NEW FAMILIES AT APRENDIZES
We are excited to welcome new families to our Open Day, taking place on November 12 at 9:00 AM TO 10:30 AM. This is a wonderful opportunity for prospective families to learn more about our school community and educational programs. During the event, you will:
Meet our Principal and Head of Academics, who will provide valuable insights into our school’s vision and curriculum.
Enjoy a personalized tour of the section that interests you most: Preschool, Primary, Middle School, or Secondary. See firsthand how we nurture and challenge students at every stage of their education.
To ensure a seamless experience, registration is required.
Please if your know any interested families tell them to register early to secure their spot! The event will be hosted in English Language.
BIO MARKET OCTOBER’S EDITION
🍂 This autumn, we successfully hosted our Biomarket, and it was a fantastic event! 🌿 The day was filled with energy as local suppliers, parents, students, and students projects came together to celebrate authentic flavors and sustainable practices. 🍁🥕
Our Biomarket showcased the incredible talent and creativity of our students, who presented a range of initiatives—from school gardens to handmade organic products—highlighting the importance of healthy eating and sustainable agriculture.
TEACHER VS. STUDENTS GAMES:
A Spirited Showdown on the Volleyball Court
Last week marked the inaugural Teacher vs. Student Games at Aprendizes, featuring a lively volleyball match between the teachers and their younger opponents.
From the start, the game was intense, with the crowd nearly as engaged as the players. It was evident who most of the audience was cheering for, as the cheers grew louder each time a student scored against the teachers.
CELEBRATING WORLD FOOD DAY:
The Importance of Healthy Eating
On World Food Day, Aprendizes - International Active Learning School reaffirms its commitment to promoting healthy, sustainable eating habits among students. Recognizing the critical role of nutrition in child development, we ensure that the food served at our school is fresh, local, and organic.
All of our ingredients come from suppliers within a 100km radius of Lisbon, who work with organic, fresh, and bulk products. This approach not only supports the local economy but also ensures that students enjoy high-quality meals made from seasonal produce.
Our Next Country Days:
TODAY - COLOMBIA in our Kitchen
November 7th - DENMARK in our Kitchen
PRESCHOOL EMBRACES ZERO WASTE WITH HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN PROJECT
Our Sonhadores Class have been getting into the Halloween spirit with a special pumpkin project! They asked the school kitchen for a pumpkin to create traditional Halloween masks, and from there, they embraced the idea of using every part of it.
The children worked together to peel the pumpkin, and the inside was turned into delicious pumpkin jam, which they’ll enjoy with scones during their afternoon snack. The seeds will be roasted for a healthy treat, and the peels were taken to feed the chickens and added to our compost bin. Even the eggshells from the scones were dried and crushed to be used as calcium for the garden soil!
LET’S STAY PRESENT:
A Phone-Free School
At our school, we are proud to be a phone-free environment. We believe that sometimes we miss the most precious moments with our children because we are focused on our phones.
Let’s all set a positive example for our children by avoiding phone use in the school atrium. This way, we can be more present and engaged with them.
EMBRACING PRESENCE DURING RECESS
Being present not only enhances our productivity but also strengthens our connections with one another.
We encourage everyone to take a step back from their devices and immerse themselves in the activities happening around us.
This commitment to being present will help create a more vibrant and supportive environment, benefiting both staff and students.
COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES
We are developing a new communication guideline aimed at reducing the volume of emails families receive, making our communication more efficient and focused. Our goal is to centralize key information to ensure clear, concise updates:
Child-specific, class, or section-related information will be included in a single weekly email from the Head Teacher, sent every Friday.
General updates and announcements will be communicated through our regular newsletter.
By streamlining our approach, we aim to keep families well-informed without overwhelming them with too many messages, ensuring that communication remains clear and purposeful.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the communication department for assistance.
JOIN OUR WINTER ANIMAL CARE CAMPAIGN
We are collecting supplies for cats dogs, and other animals in need. Your donations will help provide food, warmth, and care for animals in shelters as winter approaches.
Please leave your donations in front of the Sports Wall. All donations will go to Associação S. Francisco de Assis
MONTHLY GAME JAM
A Monthly Game Jam is being organized for aspiring game creators with a theme of "Spooky Scary Skeletons" for October. Participants can form teams of 2-3 people and use Scratch to build creative games. The deadline for submission is November 15th, and the winning team will receive a 20 Euro FNAC voucher.
CIick here for more information
SAVE THE DATE - REGENERATION FESTIVAL
Save the Date: Regeneration Festival Returns on April 2 and 3!
We are thrilled to announce the new edition of the Regenerate Festival, taking place on April 2 and 3! This year's festival promises to be an exciting and inspiring event, bringing together a vibrant mix of performances, workshops, and activities. Mark your calendars and get ready to experience two days of creativity, connection, and innovation!
As we prepare for the upcoming edition, the Regenerate Festival team is eager to gather valuable insights from staff to help us improve and refine the experience.
Your feedback is essential in shaping the event and making it even better. Please take a moment to share your suggestions and thoughts through the official feedback form HERE
EXCITING NEW MAKER SPACE COMING SOON
We are thrilled to announce the creation of a new Maker Space next to our horta (garden), offering a hands-on environment for creativity and innovation. This space will be dedicated to working with wood, metal and recycled materials, encouraging students and staff to engage in practical, project-based learning.
The Maker Space will provide opportunities for building, experimenting, and creating, fostering skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, and craftsmanship.
Stay tuned for updates as the space takes shape!
ROCK CLIMBING WALL AT APRENDIZES
We’re thrilled to announce that a new rock-climbing (bouldering) wall is being installed next to the sports fields at the end of October! This exciting addition will offer students unique opportunities to develop their strength, coordination, confidence, and problem-solving skills as part of our physical education program.
To ensure an optimal experience, we recommend that students wear climbing shoes and use liquid chalk.
For more information on the climbing wall and its benefits, click here.
FIELDTRIPS CALENDAR
07 Nov | Grade 4 | Museu de Abrantes (10 AM)
13 Nov | Grade 6 | Teatro LUCA (2:30 PM)
13 Nov | Grade 2 | Portugal dos Pequeninos (All day)
13 Nov | Grade 7 | Museu de Arte Antiga (8:30-12:00 AM)
13 Nov | Pre School | CCB (09:00-12:00 AM)
14 Nov | Pre School | CCB (09:00-12:00 AM)
15 Nov | Grade 10 | Tratolixo (11:00 AM)
All fieldtrips can be subject to change