School News October 2015
N°25| 26 October | 2015 Joan Darling cup - hockey
By Nena Valdés, PE and Sports Teacher
This is for all our old girls and everyone who carries the memory of our dear founder, Mrs Joan Darling, in their hearts. After forty years participating in the John Jackson rugby team, today the girls take part for the first time in the Joan Darling hockey team.
Six top-level sportswomen represented our institution, with the values, traditions and principles of The Grange School, St. Margaret’s and Craighouse School.
Congratulations to all participants, especially to our players: Maite Alliende, Javiera Tala, Noel Otero, Valentina Gálvez, Valentina Labowitz and Josefina Cambiaso, all of them from Year 12.
I would also like to thank with all my heart the pioneers of sport at Craighouse School: Mini Fritis, Nelba Álvarez and Patricia Ximenez. They were all great teachers and promoters of good sportsmanship. They are all part of our history. |
Pupils receive confirmation
By Marcela Acuña, Head of Religion Department
On Saturday 17th October we celebrated a mass at Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia where twenty pupils received their confirmation. The ceremony was led by father Pedro Ríos.
After two years of preparation, our students came to say yes to God with the greatest of convictions, in an atmosphere of deep introspection with their families, friends and Craighouse School teachers.
Today we would like to thank all families for the support given to our pupils throughout this process. |
 Pupils participate in Astronomy Olympics
By Gloria Paredes, Physics Teacher
Pupils Tomás Altermatt (Year 8 E) and Nicolás Bluhm (Year 8 B) had an outstanding participation in the 7th National Astronomy and Astronautics Olympics, where they had the opportunity to attend lectures by important Chilean astronomers, workshops, educational visits and the mobile planetarium.
The event, organised by the Chilean Astronomy Society (SOCHIAS) and sponsored by Cerro Tololo, Gemini and ALMA observatories, took place on September 3rd & 4th at Liceo Abate Molina in Talca. The two pupils who represented Craighouse School were accompanied by their Physics Teacher, Miss Gloria Paredes. |
Chess simultaneous exhibition (Morovic)
On Thursday 15th October the school made a selection of pupils who will take part in the school chess national finals, led by Iván Morovic. This year, the chosen pupils were Vicente Ramírez, Lorenzo Bevilacqua and Mario Henríquez, from Year 12.
Congratulations to the participants. We wish you all success on November 7th in the national finals that will take place in Colina.
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 A big thank you to all our teachers
On Friday, 16th October we celebrated Teachers’ Day, in appreciation of the important job they do every day. The school, together with the Parents’ Association, organised a special lunch where all members of staff of our institution were invited.
A teacher’s job goes way beyond the teaching of a subject: it is about a broader education and the teaching of values for life, a process that lasts a lifetime. |
 Craighouse ski team wins first place in the 2015 championship
On Wednesday 14th October, a group of children belonging to the Craighouse ski team visited Mr Lacey’s office to present him with the cup for first place which they had recently won in the school championship organised by ARSKI (Association of School Ski Branches).
Congratulations to the children and their families, who during the winter season took active part representing our school in this snow sport. |
 Old boys are called to join the Chilean rugby team
On October 5th the list of pre-selected adult players for the 2015-2016 process of the rugby national team was made public, both for the XVs and the 7s.
Among the players there are fourteen members of Craighouse Old Boys (COBS). Congratulations to Ignacio Álvarez, Felipe Beltrán, Nikola Bursic, Basilio Díaz, Rodrigo Fernández, Raimundo Fierro, Manuel Gurruchaga, Matías Nordenflycht, Cristián Oneto, Martín Raddatz, Javier Richard, Alfonso Rioja, Martín Triviño and Ítalo Zunino. |
Craighouse School pupils join Chilean under-14 hockey team
By Rony Stein, COGS Head Coach
The under-14 national hockey team, led by coaches Carolina García, Martín Rodríguez and José Maldonado and with the help of physical trainer Ignacio Flores, flew to San Juan for the Club Amancay mercedario tournament held from September 18th to 22nd. Among the team players were Francisca González Troncoso from Year 8 C, Isidora Cabargas from Year 8 B and Martina Jana from Year 8 A, pupils of our schools and members of Craighouse Old Girls (COGS).
The team’s first game was against Amancay, won by the diablitas 2-0. The next opponent was the Jockey Club, which they was comfortably 18-0. To finish this phase they faced Río Cuarto in a tight game which they finally managed to win 1-0. With these fantastic results, they made it to the semi-finals where they had to play against Liceo. They finally reached the finals, where they faced Universidad de Córdoba. Unfortunately they lost the game 2-1 with a goal by our dear “Pancha”.
Overall, the under-14 team had a wonderful performance. Congratulations to our players and physical trainer for being part of the team. |
 COBS & COGS: a successful tour
By Karla Galán, COBS & COGS Manager
As is tradition, the Craighouse Old Boys & Girls Club (COBS & COGS) embarked on a tour to Mendoza from October 9th to 11th, with a total of 249 hockey and rugby players between the ages of 7 and 12.
It was an intense two-day trip of nothing but rugby and hockey. On average, the children played four matches each day respectively, always giving their best.
As always, the parents cheered on the touchline, helping their children with first aid kits, coolers full of juice and water, taking hundreds of pictures and, best of all, giving them all their love and support.
The tour finished with a massive dinner and award-giving ceremony attended by over six hundred people.
We travelled with our beloved COBS & COGS trainers, with two wonderful groups of delegates who worked nonstop with the best attitude and remarkable care, and with a team of paramedics who were always there to help “the fallen” in the toughest moments. |
Pupils take part in robotics tournament and win important award
By José Manzanares, accompanying Robotics Teacher
A group of pupils from Years 6 and 8 who are part of the Robotics extracurricular activity took part in the Kimunbots Educational Robotics Tournament on Saturday, 10th October, at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Several schools from Región Metropolitana were present at the event, and they all had the same objective in mind: to develop skills through robotics.
The Liontech team, led by teachers Cristóbal Quijada and José Manzanares, won the award for robot design, an important achievement for a team that wants to continue taking part in other events like this.
Congratulations to the pupils of the Craighouse School Liontech team: Vicente Rojas Chandía (Year 6 A), María José Carrizo (Year 6 G), Nicolás Bluhm (Year 8 B), Mateo Viguera (Year 8 B), Fernando Batarce (Year 8 E) and Sebastián Jana (Year 8 E).
The team is now getting ready for an international competition: the First Lego League, which will be held in late November 2016. |
 COGS: great performance in closing tournament
By Karla Galán, COBS&COGS Manager
Congratulations to the coaches and players for their fantastic performance during the closing tournament.
The under-19 and under-16 categories, led by Felipe Tapia and Alan Hamilton respectively, have climbed to second place in the regular phase of the closing tournament, which secures the play off match that will define the finalist teams.
In the worst-case scenario, they will win the bronze medal in the closing tournament.
The under-14 team has to wait for the result between Old Girls and Old Gabs to know if they end up second or third. If they finish second, they will be able to follow the footsteps of the under-16 and under-19, only one step away from playing the finals.
We will soon inform you of the times for the matches played on October 25th.
The first division has yet to define their position, but we expect to play the national finals. |
 Myriam Hernández receives award
On October 15th Chilean singer and Craighouse School parent Myriam Hernández received the award Presidencia de la Academia Latina de la Grabación for her work as songwriter. With this recognition she will be part of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame (LSHOF).
Congratulations for this important achievement. |
Culture tip: exploring our cosmic origins
From October 7th to January 3rd the exhibition “Alma, explorando nuestros orígenes cósmicos” will be present at Espacio Fundación Telefónica. This exhibition includes astonishing photographs and illustrative videos, and its objective is to explain how the most powerful observatory in the history of mankind works, why it is located at an altitude of five thousand metres above sea level in the Atacama desert, what it looks for and what it has found so far regarding our cosmic origins. Free admission Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (except “compulsory” ones) from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Providencia 127 - Providencia www.fundaciontelefonica.cl |
 Middle Section pupils take part in Faro Cup
On their own initiative, a group of students of Year 6 A, B and G created “Los compadres”, a football team with which they signed up for the Faro Cup, to be played on the weekend of October 3rd at Colegio Cumbres.
The group of boys designed their own football shirt and encouraged and motivated each other to take up the challenge. They are Arturo Figueroa (team captain) from Year 6 A, Matías Santillán from 6 A, Nicolás Espejo from 6 A, Pablo Risco from 6 A, Pedro Orellana from 6 A, Alonso Van Bavel from 6 A, Julián Puede from 6 A, Antonio Camacho from 6 B, Raimundo López from 6 B and Nicolás Tyszka from 6 G. The top goal scorers were Antonio Camacho and Nicolás Espejo.
Congratulations to “Los compadres” for this fantastic initiative, a clear example of teamwork and camaraderie. |
 Alianzas Senior 2015: our section’s meeting point
By Sylvia Lagos, advisor for the Senior Section’s Student Council
On September 8th & 9th we had the 2015 alianzas, organised by the Senior Section’s Student Council and led by Year 12. This year, the topic was History, Spanish, Art, and Science.
We want to highlight our pupils’ organisation skills and motivation throughout the activities, as well as the participation of our teachers.
Amongst the students’ favourite activities were the sketches, which include pupils of all levels and are presented in the evening. However this year was different, since even the teachers participated, dancing together with the children.
Mrs Alison Fuentes, the dance teacher from the extracurricular activities of Year 12, was part of the jury.
We want to thank the Senior Section teachers for their wonderful performance. Their enthusiasm and commitment in activities like these allow pupils to get to know them better in a different context.
The winners of the alianzas were the yellow team. They will receive a mystery prize and the Students’ Council shield. |
 International Day in Middle Section
By Michael Arington, Academic Coordinator of Middle Section
Middle School pupils celebrated International Day by creating an exhibition about different countries. Each form class chose a different country and investigated what it would be like to be a child in that country. Many questions were investigated, like what do kids like to do, what is school like and how are they similar or different from us. Pupils then created a design for a magazine about this country and created displays presenting what would be in that magazine. Participants learned many interesting facts about all sorts of countries. They also had a chance to participate in language classes, yoga classes, and eat various foods. The exhibition was a huge success. |
 Alianzas Middle 2015: together for a cause
By Olga Godoy, advisor for the Middle Section’s Student Council
September is the month of the alianzas, and this year was no different. It was a wonderful day where both pupils and teachers had a great time dancing, playing and participating in all sorts of activities.
It is a time of enjoyment and lots of fun, but also of hard work, since all pupils make their best effort to help their colours win.
This year, each alianza had a different topic: beach, city, space and jungle. They were all led by a king and queen, pupils of Year 8 who will only be part of the Middle Section for a couple more months.
But the alianzas actually begin much earlier in a launch where other levels (Years 5, 6 & 7) are informed of their colours and kings. That day we pretended to have an evacuation due to rain so that they wouldn’t suspect what was going on. In the end it was a great motivation for all that would come in the following weeks. And we loved seeing Year 5, who have only recently joined our section, participating with great enthusiasm in each of the activities.
The day finally came. Everyone was anxious and the weather wasn’t contributing; for a while we thought that the activities would have to be cancelled. However, in spite of the cold, pupils and teachers spent the whole day cheering for their colours.
It was a fun, but tiring day, and organising everything beforehand was critical for such an important event. We want to make a special mention of the costumes and the balloons that the red alianza launched into the sky. We also loved seeing so many teachers joining in the choreographies of their colours.
We certainly have a big challenge for 2016: making the alianzas even better than they were this year. |
 Pupils offer storytelling activity to children in Escuela San Andrés
By Edith Casas, Spanish Teacher – Middle Section
On Friday 2nd October pupils from Year 5 D, E & G went to Escuela de Lenguaje San Andrés with storytelling activities and songs. This activity was organised by CARE, while Miss Edith Casas, from the Spanish Department, was in charge of selecting, organising and accompanying the group.
The songs and stories presented by the children were:
“The three little pigs” – Year 5 E.
“Un lindo globito” (song) – Year 5 G.
“Goldilocks” – Year 5 G.
“Little Red Riding Hood” – Year 5 E.
“La cuncuna amarilla” (song) – Year 5 G.
“Paulita y el lobo” – Year 5 D.
Activities like these are very enriching, both for our community and for the school in Lo Barnechea. Interaction among all the children creates a unique atmosphere of camaraderie.
Children learn through their own creative activity and by solving small problems, they learn by playing and when they play they transform reality with their imagination.
This kind of work is an excellent source of communication, since it takes place in an atmosphere of sheer joy and fulfillment. |
 IT teachers made a presentation at ExpoTalleres
A few months ago the Association of British Schools in Chile (ABSCH) organised ExpoTalleres, where our IT teachers offered lectures on the following topics:
Miss Sachy Bravo: the importance of product diversity in enquiry.
Mr Roberto Henríquez: infographics in the development of IT skills for learning.
Mr José Manzanares: evaluating sources of information.
Mr René Jofré (Head of Department): let’s talk about energies, an experience to work with my pupils.
Congratulations to all the speakers. |
 Primary Section and “founding activities”: the art of sharing
By Soledad Valdés, Head of Social Service and Experiential Learning
This year, the area of Social Service and Experiential Learning has created “founding activities” for each section of the school. The objective of these experiences is for pupils to witness a specific situation and also to live it exactly where it takes place.
The founding experience for Year 3 was titled “sharing”, and the objective was for pupils to spend time with children from our partner nursery schools. They visit one nursery school twice, and each class must organise different recreational activities for the children, as well as keeping close contact with them either by playing with them or simply spending time with them.
On September 10th, classes R, L, I, N & G visited Santa Rosa nursery school in La Dehesa, and on October 1st classes D & A will visit Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza in Huechuraba for the first time. |
 Primary Section pupils take the SIMCE exams
Following the Ministry of Education’s calendar, on October 6th, 7th & 8th our Years 2 and 4 sat for the Mathematics and Reading Comprehension SIMCE exams. The objective of these tests is to assess the expected learning outcomes defined in the national curriculum, including skills and knowledge. They are mostly made up of multiple-choice questions and a few open-ended questions. |
 Pupil represents Chile in cricket championships
Bailey Errey of Year 6 C has been representing Chile in the under 13 team at the Junior South American Championships just held for the last five days in Lima, Peru.
It was a very successful tournament where the three weekly intensive cricket coaching sessions that Bailey does definitely paid off. He himself had an excellent performance in both batting and bowling.
Unfortunately Chile didn’t win the tournament but their team efforts and sportsmanship were very commendable.
The highlight was the match against Brasil where Bailey batted through their entire innings, only getting out on the third to last ball.
The photo of him walking off the pitch holding his helmet shows his delight and exhaustion.
The new friends made from other cricketing countries over this weekend is a highlight in Bailey’s year. |
 Drama meeting at IEA
By Evelyn Yupanqui, Communications – CARE
On August 26th the drama group directed by Miss Claudia Rebolledo and made up of pupils of the Middle Section visited Instituto de Estados Americanos (IEA) and presented vampire play “Willcome”. Their performance was a huge success, and IEA pupils had fun, laughed and learned with this talented drama group.
This integration and motivation activity is aligned with the CARE objective of leading our children along the path of solidarity, stimulating their interest in others and developing social initiatives.
Congratulations to all the participating pupils: Isidora Campos (Year 6 C), Olivia Rencoret (Year 6 D), Ma. Jesús Caldera (Year 6 G), Renata Pereira (Year 6 G), Clara Homps (Year 6 B), Sofía Gundermann (Year 6 B), Pablo Hernández (Year 6 B), Diego Caballero (Year 6 B), Sofía San Miguel (Year 6 E), Delfina Pérez (Year 6 F), Antonia Calderón (Year 6 F) and Colomba Meza (Year 6 F). |
 Thank you, Plymouth students
By Cecilia Nestler, Academic Coordinator – Primary Section
Every year we receive a group of students from Plymouth University who study teaching and who come to our school’s Primary Section for their professional practice. In September they finished their internship and returned to the United Kingdom. It was a real pleasure of everyone in the section to share such valuable educational experiences. The students left our school very happy for having learned about our ways of teaching, strengthening values and attitudes. In turn, we are left with a strong legacy in formative assessment in the classroom. And we are very happy to report that students Charlotte McGiffe and Coral Terry decided to stay on at Craighouse School until the end of the year. They will be working in different classes from Years 1 to 4. |
Cultural Tip: Railway Museum
Now that Spring is here, doing open-air activities with our families is more appealing. This week we recommend visiting the Railway Museum (Museo Ferroviario de Santiago), located in Quinta Normal. In this museum you will find a number of historical pieces from the time of steam trains. One of the most interesting pieces is the presidential carriage, used by Chilean presidents at the beginning of the 20th century. Museo Ferroviario de Santiago Quinta Normal park Subway line 5, Quinta Normal station Access by car via Avda. Portales. Tel.: +56 2 26814627 http://www.amigosdeltren.cl/museos-y-conservacion/museo-ferroviario-santiago |
 Día de la Chilenidad
On Wednesday 9th September the whole school celebrated Día de la Chilenidad. In the morning each Section had their own Assembly, where everyone enjoyed the presentations by the History, Spanish, Music and Drama Departments. Later that day, the Sports teachers guided their pupils through typical Chilean dances.
And finally, for the first time ever the Senior Section pupils demonstrated all their artistic skills with a wonderful pie de cueca in the section playground. |
 2015 UK English Study Trip
On Saturday 29th August eighty Year 7 pupils went on the traditional UK English Study Trip. Once again a successful experience for the pupils and the accompanying teachers who return on September 19th.
This year, the group was led by Miss Bernardita Petrowitsch, Miss Clara Teeuwen, Miss Claudia Rebolledo, Mr Pablo Salvador, Mr Daniel Romo and Mr Pablo Astete.
We are proud of our pupils for their very good behaviour during the trip and thank to our teachers for looking after our pupils in this unforgettable experience. |
 CARE and social development further training activities
By María José Cohen, General Coordinator – CARE
On Saturday 5th September the first CARE and social development training activities took place in our school. In this historic event, the community was informed that CARE has now been included in the Social Service and Experiential Learning area of our school.
CARE people told their story and discussed their development since 2002, when the organisation was first created. They also talked about their mission, vision, objectives and activities in each section.
CARE delegates, pergola volunteers, CARE founders Mrs Mónica Araya, Mariana Bofill and Aglaé Ossandón, as well as Mr Lacey, took part in this event.
Our special guests were Mrs Patricia Altamirano, Director of the Instituto de Estados Americanos in Lo Barnechea (one of our associate institutions), Mr Mario Orellana who made a presentation on vulnerability in our country, and Thomas Maremaa, a Craighouse School old boy who talked about social development during his student years at the school and more recently at his university. It was a highly motivating activity for the future of CARE. |
 Senior Section pupils teach Physics to the little ones
By Carlos Valenzuela, Physics Teacher – Senior Section
In August, Playgroup pupils visited the Senior Section Physics lab 1. The purpose of this visit was to promote integration among our pupils, so that the younger children could spend time with their Year 11 schoolmates. The Year 11 pupils were responsible for explaining interesting physics phenomena to inspire an interest in Science. |
 Parents meeting: the importance of bonding
By Loreto Urrutia, Psychologist – Formative Area
On August 25th parents of Preschool and Year 1, were invited to attend the presentation “A Child’s Emotional Integration: The Importance of Bonding Here and Now”, by Mrs Pilar Mardones and Mrs Carolina Bunge, Universidad Católica psychologists.
The psychologists explained that there are different tools to support children in their emotional development, by accompanying them through their more intense emotions. They also told parents that this method continuously strengthens the bond between parents and children.
Thanks to positive integration we are able to make better decisions, regulate our emotions, understand ourselves and develop empathy.
Attending parents were given a few minutes of reflection in the classroom with the Tutors, by being able to talk about different ways to bond with the children, the difficulties that arise in everyday life and how to deal with them. |
 Parents meeting: Positive Relationships
By Loreto Urrutia, Psychologist – Formative Area
On Thursday 20th August Years 2, 3 and 4 parents, had a meeting with Mrs Analía Stutman, psychologist from Universidad Católica. Mrs Stutman was presented the Conference “Children and their Relationship with Others: Laying the Foundations for Positive Relationships and Empathy.”
The psychologist discussed the importance of encouraging empathy and its impact on the development of positive relationships. Later, parents had the opportunity to reflect on this topic with the Tutors. |
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Cultural Tip:Event in honour of Vicente Bianchi  |
