JUNE 2011 - LA MORALEJA

News about the Pupils and Teachers at King’s College

King’s College School E - N e w s l e t t e r

Nursery children have learnt lots of Nursery Rhymes and Traditional Tales this year. Their favourite was The Gingerbread Man and they asked Miss Kowalska to read it so many times that they know it inside out. Baking gingerbread biscuits was great fun and these made de-licious props to act out the story.

In preparation for Easter, Foundation Stage celebrated Shrove Tuesday by making pancakes and eating them in the traditional way: with lemon and sugar.

Early this term Nursery visi-ted the farm Granja Escuela El Álamo, where besides learning about animals and their babies, the children baked some bread. In Foundation Stage we always find a good reason to pick up the chef’s hat.

This term, the Nursery children performed all their songs and dances in a special show for their parents and they enthra-lled the audience with their con-fidence and stage presence.

FOUNDATION STAGE

The best way to end the topic on ‘Growing’ was to plant beanstalks in the school’s vegetable garden. Children planted beans in yogurt pots and day by day they watched them grow. They measured and compared them; they recorded the growth on a calendar; they drew them on their bean diary and la-belled their parts; they learned what a plant needs to grow (not that diffe-rent from what we ourselves need, really); and everyday someone was responsible for watering them and taking them out in the sun. But little by little the beanstalks became too big for the pots and the children had to find them a new home. Now they visit the vegetable garden every fort-night. The beanstalks are blooming with flowers and the first bean pods are showing. The cycle will soon be complete.

RECEPTION

Esteban Lejo, Maintenance Manager at King’s College School, helped us with the gardening and taught children some interesting facts about plants and animals.

This topic has helped Reception children to gain a better understanding of the natural world and their envi-ronment. They were excited, motivated and engrossed in their learning. Learning outside the classroom is a powerful and meaningful experience for the children.

Children in Reception have had a wonderful year and have certainly been “full of beans”. They glowed at their production of The Garden last term. All their hard work paid off and parents showed extraordinary creativity in making their children’s costumes. Mrs Crowley and Ms Taylor were immensely proud of their pupils.

Following their recent topic on Transport, the two Reception classes visited the railway museum, Museo del Ferrocarril. They had a picnic afterwards and fun at the Pirate Park in Alcobendas. Thank you to the parent helpers for accompanying them on this trip, making it fun and safe. The children will have good memories of this special day for years to come.

LOWER SCHOOL

During Art Week in January, the children helped to create a collage of the world using recycled materials and every child made a leaf containing eco messages.

In February, the children celebrated 100 Days of School. Pupils took part in lots of activities involving the number 100 – being quiet for 100 seconds proved particularly tricky for Year 4. At the end of the month the children also celebrated World Maths Day and there was certainly a buzz about the school and lots of healthy competition.

In March there was a Pancake Day, a Carnival and a Book Week. It was particularly rewarding to see the chil-dren so involved with reading and lots of sharing activities happening across the whole school.

Year 3 saw La Orquesta Filarmónica perform at the Centro de Arte in Alcobendas and even had a go at conducting. Everyone who saw 3P, 3M and 3B take assembly were im-pressed with how entertaining and informa-tive they were.

Year 1 enjoyed their trip to the Planetarium, making meaningful connections to their topic work in class.

In Lower School children were excited to learn (amongst other things) about the An-cient Egyptians in Year 4, The Great Fire of London in Year 2, Space in Year 1 and World War 2 in Year 3.

LOWER SCHOOL SPORTS DAY

On the 18th and 19th May, Lower School held their annual sports days for children from Year 1 through to Year 4. The idea of the days was to encou-rage children to participate in activities that encouraged team cooperation to achieve as many points as possible for their hou-se colour. Activities included some traditional English sports day events like the egg and spoon race, the three legged race and more sporty activi-ties which involved hunting for clues and collecting beanbags. Luckily the weather remained dry on both days even though rain was forecast.

Supported by the parents, the children had five minutes to collect as many points as they could before moving onto the next activity. Each day was rounded off with running races for each class. The children had a fantastic time and, although there can only be one team champion, they were all winners in collecting points for their team and felt a great sense of achievement.

YEAR 4 RESIDENTIAL

At the end of March, the Year 4 annual residential trip to Cuacos de Yuste in Caceres took place. This week-long residential encouraged the children to be independent, to persevere and to try activities that they may not have had the opportunity to try befo-re, including horse riding and a high ropes course. For some it was their first time away from home, but although they missed their parents, they were having too good a time to be homesick.

During team building games the children had to use their problem solving skills to overcome tricky situa-tions. In one game, the children had to form a snake to catch the other players. “It was tough trying to get past them all,” joked Metrine from 4F.

The children also had the opportunity to visit Monfrague National Park to see the vultures for which the park is famous. “I can’t believe they are so big,” exclaimed Stijn from 4G after the park warden demonstrated the 2-3m width of the wingspan of the Griffon Vulture.

After writing about their experiences when they returned to school, there was a resounding agreement that, “This was the best trip ever.”

The highlight for most of the children was the High Ropes Course. The course included crossing a variety of obstacles, with a zip line at the end. The sense of achievement for the children was palpable and left the teachers with a huge sense of pride.

UPPER SCHOOL

Upper School pupils at La Moraleja have been very busy in all areas of school life.

Year 6 worked very hard in preparation for their SATs exams in English, Maths and Science and if the fantastic results obtained in the recent European Maths day are anything to go by we should certainly have some ama-zing Mathematics results. King’s College School was the top school in Spain, with Guillermo Y6O coming 1st in Spain, and in 31st place in Europe.

Thei r Roya l H ighnesses, The Pr ince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwal l v is i t Madr id

Some of our Year 7 pupils were given the fantastic opportunity to meet HRH Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall on their recent visit to Madrid. The pupils said it was amazing to talk to them about nor-mal things like school, the school ski trip, and even which mobile phones they had.

A month later, Upper School stu-dents celebrated the Royal Wedding of William and Catherine in true Bri-tish style by having a street party. The students created bunting and brought food to celebrate this histo-rical event together.

Y7 pupils chatting with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

Y7 pupils talking to HRH Prince Charles during his vi-sit to Madrid

In Year 9, students have been busy with their first experience of IGCSE examinations, taking not only Spanish IGCSE, but also the Cambridge First Certificate in Use of English. They all wor-ked very hard and deserve good results. The ex-perience has no doubt helped prepare them for the variety of exams they will take in the future.

Years 8 and 9 were also very lucky to have some visitors from local businesses and banks to give them an insight into the world of commerce. It was especially interesting, during question and discussion time, to hear some of the fantastic ambitions and aspirations that pupils have for the future.

Students in Year 9 performed a show for friends and family in January of this year. They chose to show off their skills through a hilarious show about Art and how it is interpreted. The students dedica-ted much time to learning the witty lines which pa-rents and students thoroughly enjoyed.

Taking advantage of the city of Madrid, Year 8 went on a walking trip of the main tourist sites of the cen-tre. They began their guided tour at Plaza Espana and ended in Retiro. The students thoroughly ap-preciated the architecture, culture and history that Madrid has to offer, whilst also considering the im-pact of tourists on the city.

Upper School in April of this year had a very enjoyable and successful Life Skills Day. The day was plan-ned to offer the students essential skills that they do not receive within the academic curriculum. They had the opportunity to make bread and fruit salads, acquire basic sewing skills, develop their decision making skills, learn revision tips and discuss fair trade and globalization. The children really embraced the day and were enthusiastic throughout.

BOOK WEEK

In March this year staff, students and parents at La Moraleja joined to celebrate another hugely suc-cessful and enjoyable Book Week. Students and staff dressed up as their favourite book characters; stu-dents brought in favourite books to share with their class; Lower School had a pyjama day; Parents came in to read with their children; Upper School children read with Lower School children; in the Library there were competitions and quizzes and we had a “Drop Everything And Read Day.”

The purpose of the week was to encourage and re-ig-nite a love of books and reading. In Upper School, the launch of The Great Reading Race was a highlight. Students were challenged to enter the Reading Race,

choosing from the Triathlon (reading 3 books - fiction, non-fiction and free choice) right up to the Marathon (reading 26 books including a graphic novel, an auto-biography, a prize-winner, a recommendation from their English teacher or Librarian, to name but a few). At the end of the term we will announce our first ever Reading Marathon winner.

We are delighted not only at how much of a success Book Week was, but also how we reap the benefits in school. The selection of books sold at the BookWorld Book Fair combined with the rapidly expanding and varied library collection (a special thank you, Mr Green, the Library Coordinator) means that children are rarely seen without their noses buried in a book.

ART WEEK

In January the whole school took part in an Eco Art Week. Pupils across the whole school gathered re-cycled materials to create a variety of collages. The Early Years children made large, bright, collage ani-mals which have since decorated the school corri-dors. The Lower School classes worked together to add collage materials to a world map jigsaw. This can also be seen in the corridor, near to the dining room. The Upper School worked on clay tiles and mural de-signs with environmental themes.

Many students spent the week discussing the importance of being ‘Eco Friendly’ and learnt a great deal about the destruction of environments around the world. The student’s learned to combine this knowledge with their artistic skills and put their ideas together to great a large variety of interesting artworks.

They also discovered what they could do to help and as a result the Student’s Council has since added recy-cling boxes to all classrooms in the school.

MUSIC

The “Music for the Silver Screen” concert that took place at the end of thespring term proved a great success. A large number of students performed in the choirs from both Lower and Upper School along with the pop band, clas-sical ensemble and various soloists.

Since September it has been impres-sive to see the enthusiasm in students to participate in musical activities and their commitment to rehearsing and producing high quality performan-ces. Upper School Choir has also been singing out in the community, bringing musical entertainment to the residents of Sanitas Residencia in Alcobendas, both at Christmas and again in March. The choirs and bands also performed at the May Fair on Saturday 28th May and delighted the audience in their confident open-air performances.

CHRIS SAMPSON, TEACHER AND ATHLETE

As well as teaching PE and Maths at King’s Co-llege School, I am involved in competitive athletics as a distance runner. I have been running since the age of thirteen and it became a major part of my life a year or two later when I realised I was better at running than football. I’ve always found that running complements my teaching really well. To train twice a day around a full time job means each day has to be organised and well-structured and being so busy means that I really appreciate time spent with my girl-friend, my friends and my family, and time spent wat-ching football. These are things I am still determined

to fit it. I train before and after school and a lot of this involves running between my apartment in the centre of Madrid and the bus station at Plaza De Castilla, where I get the bus to La Moraleja.

The most satisfying aspect about running, for me, is improving, reaching a good standard and apprecia-ting the hard work which has gone in to achieve this. These are things I carry into my teaching, especially the PE and nothing gives me greater pleasure than helping pupils at all levels to reach their potential in a number of sports.

When I knew I was moving to Madrid, I decided to aim for some 10k road races in the Autumn. This required a build up of several weeks of 100 miles including two fast runs. The first race at the end of September star-ted and finished in Retiro Park. It was won by Chema

Martinez who recently finished 2nd in the European Marathon Championships and I was delighted to fi-nish second, just holding off another Spanish interna-tional, Javier Lopez, who was just returning to fitness.

After a couple more weeks training I ran in the CSIC International 10k in Madrid, finishing 12th in a good field. After these two races I felt I was run-ning really well, however due to the number of hills in Madrid I hadn’t managed to improve my personal best. At the beginning of November I ran a 10k race in the East of Madrid, running 30.21, impro-ving my best time by eight seconds to end a really satisfying season.

After a short break I decided to target the Barcelo-na half marathon at the end of January. The tra-ining was similar to the 10k build-up but was lon-ger and had a little more emphasis on endurance rather than speed. By this point I had joined AD Marathon and in the build up I ran for them in the Madrid Veterans Cross Country (I just qualify at 35 though I try to keep my age quiet.). I won the race and more importantly helped the club win the team title. I really enjoyed the race in Barcelona and had

been hoping to beat my best time of 66.34. Howe-ver the weather was windy and rainy and I ended up with 12th place in 67.04, but was still pleased as I was outsprinted by another UK athlete who is usually further ahead of me and had been aiming to run 66 minutes. I then took a two week break and after that I rushed back too soon so struggled for a couple of months. I must remember I’m 35 not 25.

However, during this period I was able to fly to the UK to help my English Club, Morpeth Harriers, fi-nish 3rd in the National Road Relays. I’m currently training at the INEF with a good group of athletes, aiming for some shorter races on the track before taking a break and looking to the roads in the au-tumn. I might not get into the sort of form on the track I enjoyed when I finished 7th in the UK Olym-pic Trials in the 3000m steeplechase in 2008, but the faster work will help me on the roads where I still feel I can improve.

SKI TRIP 2011

Number of pupils 84 pupils, Yrs 5-9Date 20th – 25th February at Cerler in Benasque

The ski resort of Cerler is located in the Spanish province of Huesca in the Pyrenean Mountains. This is the highest ski resort in the Pyrenees and so it keeps good quality of snow. There are a large range of pistes to cater for all abilities. We stayed in Hotel Pilar in the pretty village of Benasque. The children all enjoyed sharing a room with their friends. We had a big buffet breakfast to start the day and a 3 course meal in the evenings.The children received excellent tuition from the ski and snowboard instructors of Cerler in the morning and were encouraged in their ability from total beginners to advance skiers or snowboarders. The skiing ability of the children was assessed on the first day and then they were put into groups according to their ability (5-10 children per group). They received 3 hours of classes in the ski schools of Cerler in the morning and skied all afternoon, after a 3 course lunch on the pistes with their monitors (who are also qualified instructors) and teachers.

Activities were provided in the evenings before dinner, these included: team building games and a games circuit set up in the local sports centre, a tour of Benasque where the children had an opportunity to do a little shopping and also a beginners’ climbing course in the mountain school of Benasque climbing gym, with fully qualified instructors. The trip finished with a rewards ceremony where the children were presented with certi-ficates of achievement by their ski instructors and a party in the local disco, dancing with friends, instructors and teachers.

ALDOVEA’S RUN

Aldovea School held their annual cross country race in March and invited King’s College School to participate. This was an event to raise the aware-ness of sport within school and to give the children a chance to enjoy the atmosphere of an event that involves lots of different schools in the area.

This event was sponsored so all of the participants received a cap, drink and post race pizza. It was well organised with monitors and qualified first ai-ders. The routes were varied according to the age of the children and courses were set up around La Moraleja. The children participating were accompa-nied by their teachers and many parents came to watch.

All participants tried their best and enjoyed the ex-perience. All students from Years 7, 8 and 9 were

entered into the event and they all practised distan-ce running in Physical Education lessons.

Every student had been working towards impro-ving their individual levels of fitness, but some also showed considerable talent in this sporting area.

This race has thousands of participants with about 200 children in each age group for boys and girls. Considering King’s College School is a small school, students did an excellent job and competed very well. We were all very proud of Francesca, who came third in the Yr 8 Girls’ event and was awarded a trophy by the former 10,000m European cham-pion, Chema Martínez.

Francesca made an outstanding effort, winning the third place trophy in the Yr 8 Girls’ Event.

All students of Years 7, 8 and 9

ALCOBENDAS LEAGUE

This year has been an exciting year for the development of sports for the school. More teams than ever be-fore were entered into the Alcobendas Schools Sports League and the level of participation in the after school and lunchtime clubs has been steadily growing. The pupils’ enthusiasm towards a variety of sports covered in lessons is fantastic and so is the general all round ability and attitude towards learning in Physical Education.

The teams entered for this year were Benjamin, Alevin and Infantil for football and Alevin for basketball. Some enthusiastic footballers from pupils from Year 4 also wanted to form a team and they became the Pre-Benjamin team, participating in regular Saturday friendly matches against other schools in preparation for their league entry in the following year. The teams have had two training sessions per week and have worked hard together with their coach and team mates to improve their individual level of skill and ability and also their ability to work as a team. All players have improved a lot and have enjoyed representing their school.

The Benjamin team won the Alcobendas League, which is an outstanding achieve-ment for them. The team was captained by Rodrigo in Year 5. They have played fantastically well all through the year and continue to train, compete and improve as a team.

Benjamin Football

Pre Benjamin Football

The Alevin team, captained by Guillermo in Year 6 also performed at an excellent level and finished fourth. The Infantil team captained by Alvaro and Juan in Year 8 made very good progress and finished the league in sixth place. The Alevin basketball team, captained by María in Year 6, made excellent improvement over the year and the players were committed to training and participating fully in their matches.

Alevin Football

Pre Benjamin Football

Recently, the Alevin and Infantil teams entered the Fuentesantas Polideportivo Annual Football Tournament. This is a very well known event involving many of the surrounding schools. King’s College School made a heroic performance with the Infantil team finishing in 2nd place and the Alevin team winning it.

All of the teams this year have made exceptional progress and have been committed to trying to improve to-gether. Each year there is more progress made by the school in terms of sporting opportunities and this will continue to develop and get better and bigger. We are very proud of all the children who have participated and hope that they continue with good sportsmanship and enthusiasm.

Alevin Basketball

Infantil Football

CHARITY REPORT

The school has continued to support Nyumbani, the UK/US aid project that is developing a village for orphaned children outside Nairobi, in Kenya. Last month 1.000 euros was donated to the project, 100 euros of which was used to purchase pens and ink for Class 3 pupils of Jamhuri School. Isabella Hearn, a former King’s College teacher, is very involved with Nyumbani. “Last term” she said, “I visited Nyumbani village, where work is underway to build houses for teachers. I am delighted that this project is largely fun-ded by money raised at King’s College in Madrid.” Parents, pupils and teachers have contributed to Nyumbani each year since our opening in 2007.

Kenya

Liliana Laguna and Concha Frigols, at the Christmas Fayre where funds were raised for the School charities

The teachers, parents and children have all worked hard this year to raise money for three important charities. The Christmas Fayre in particular, was a huge fund-raising success thanks to all the parents, pupils and staff who helped.

Funds were raised for Acoger y Compartir, a Spanish-based charity that is helping the victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, in particular their programme “Holding Hands with Haiti”. The school donated 2,484 euros to this project last month.

Caritas Madrid helps seriously disadvantaged people in the Madrid region. Contributions have gone largely to the San Sebastian de los Reyes section of this charity. 1.000 euros was donated to Caritas, and items of food were also donated for their programme “Operation Kilo”.

Paseo de Alcobendas, 5, 28109 - La Moraleja, Madrid Phone: +34 916 585 540 - Fax: +34 916 507 686

E-mail: info.lamoraleja@kingscollege.es

The first Year 9 class at La Moraleja had a special celebration of their time at King’s College School on the evening of June 22nd, with their parents and teachers. Our first group of students to transfer to King’s College, Soto de Viñuelas, had a Leavers’ Ball which included a drinks reception, a three-course dinner, after-dinner speeches and dancing. The occasion took place in the School Hall, which had been beautifully decorated by Year 9 parents, Rosanna Orantes Guttiérez and Karen Friedman. Everyone had a wonderful evening and this was an excellent send-off for our students which will long be remembered. We wish all of Year 9 every success and happiness for the future.

YEAR 9 GRADUATION