Passion and Excellence in all we do www.themetropolitanschool.com 6th Edition, July 2011

Message from the Founders: Denise Eisenmann EAT  SMART,  PLAY  HARD,  HAVE  FUN! Children today face an increasing number of nutrition problems, including fragmented eating habits, poor food choices, obesity and eating disorders, inactivity due to spending large chunks of passive time in front of the TV, playing video games and on computers, snack and soft drink temptations, super sizing of portions in fast food restaurants, etc. In addition, not only are kids growing overweight, they also feel more guilty about it, a feeling children are acquiring at an alarmingly young age. By age 18, nine out of ten teenagers are dieting to lose weight. Well-nourished children learn better, are more active, get sick

less, are more able to think and concentrate, are less irritable and anxious, have a better self-image, have a better understanding of food and how it affects the body for good and bad, and are more likely to be healthier adults. The messages children receive about nutrition should be clear, consistent and constant. Only then will kids begin to internalize the information and make changes in their eating and activity habits. Most people share the need of creating a healthy food culture and we believe food available to kids at school and home should be healthful and appealing. Kids don’t get proficient at playing the piano, solving math problems or

scoring soccer goals without a lot of practice – the same is true of good nutrition habits! At the MET, we will be providing all children nutritious and wellbalanced lunches and snacks. We have been working hard with food catering companies and nutritionists to develop a menu that will be both healthy and appetizing to children. We are very excited to be able to implement a thoughtful nutrition program in our school and we believe our program will be the basis for long-term healthy eating habits for your children. Once we have our final menus defined, we will be sharing them with all of you promptly. Stay tuned!

THE  MET’s  PLEDGE 1)   POSITIVE  ATTITUDE.  We  will  reinforce  positive  attitudes,  presenting  a  unified  message  about  food  as  fuel  and   bodies  as  something  to  be  proud  of  and  happy  about. 2)   EXERCISE.  We  will  encourage  children  to  move,  play,  and  exercise  during  school  and  after-­‐school  activities,  where   there  will  be  a  variety  of  competitive  sports  to  choose  from,  so  they  can  learn  leadership  and  teambuilding  as  well. 3)   SMART  EATING.    We  will  teach  children  about  food,  not  as  a  subject,  but  as  concepts  that  we  will  reinforce  all  year,   making  it  fun,  integrating  it  in  core  subjects  whenever  possible,  emphasizing  behavior  change,  and  sending  the   message  home. Page 1

Message from our Headmaster As you read this, I would like to ask you to pause for a moment and to think back to your school days. Think of your fondest school memories. Think of the moments that you have never forgotten and that bring a smile to your face every time you remember them. I wonder what those magical moments were that left an impression on you? I certainly know which my favorite memories of school are. And I can remember them as if it were yesterday.

although tough at the time, learning to lose built my character and made me a better person. The rugby tour to Cape Town was a highlight of my Elementary education. I was away from home without my parents, learning to be independent and discovering a whole new world outside of my suburban “bubble”. Sharing a boarding school dormitory with team mates is another memory that makes me smile as I think back.

too, like breaking my shoulder in the judo championship finals and having to settle for the silver medal after being forced to quit due to the injury. Not to mention the team photographs I still keep in my albums and that bring back such good memories. All of these experiences helped with my academics. I loved school. I had a sense of belonging to ‘my school’ and so I tried harder to please my teachers and get better academic results.

Sports. This is what I remember vividly about my school days. I can remember the smell of the freshly cut grass and the raw odor of the leather rugby ball. I can remember putting on my first XV rugby jersey before a match in the changing room. The atmosphere and adrenalin shared amongst fellow players and friends before every match is something that I will never forget. And then of course, I remember weeping with emotion after defeating our main rivals away from home on a chilly afternoon in the fall. Brown and golden leaves littered the rugby field that day and the image of the beautiful scenery and cheering spectators is crystal clear in my mind. My father was there to watch my team triumph that day. The sensation of playing in a team of friends and enjoying the success of all those months of training is priceless. However, the matches we lost are also fresh in my mind and

And it’s not only rugby that I remember as my fondest moments. I often reminisce about fighting back from behind in the under twelve age category 800 meter final on Sports Day. There was only one lap of 200 meters remaining and I gave it my all. I passed at least six runners on that final lap and ended up in fourth position. I didn’t even end up on the podium, but that was one of the greatest days of my life. I had given it my finest shot, and fourth position was perfect for me because that was the very best that I could ever have done. I was proud of myself and so were my friends and family.

Field trips. These experiences are the other memories that will forever live with me and that had a profound impact on my childhood. I remember the outdoor education camp to the African Savannah when just a young boy in Elementary school. Searching for animals and collecting animal dropping samples brought what we had studied in science to real life. It all seemed logical now that we could see the food chain unfolding right in front of our eyes. Living with classmates in a small rondavel (traditional African hut) in the middle of the bush is sure to remain engraved in your brain forever. The day excursions to the local aquarium and the mangrove swamps are other experiences that made a significant impression on me and helped me make sense of what we were doing within the confines of the classroom walls.

I could go on and on about other sports I played. Like getting to school at 6am for swimming or cross-country training. Or playing cricket all day on a Saturday out in the blistering African sun. Joyous occasions, and difficult ones

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Message from our Headmaster ... The point I am trying to make is that had it not been for sports and outdoor education, my school experience would have been a very different story. I certainly would not have enjoyed my childhood learning were it not for these two elements that my school encouraged and supported. This is not to say that I did not appreciate the classroom experience. Sports and field trips enhanced the classroom time for me and for most of the students in my school. Neither am I saying that every child must be a devoted and successful sportsperson or nature lover. What is important is that students have opportunities to find a balance in their lives. Doing exercise and interacting with the environment are healthy activities that help the learning process. I must emphasize that academics will be the priority at the MET. However, academics cannot exist in isolation. It must be supported by other facets of a well-balanced education such as sports, outdoor education programs, technology, music, drama and art. The life skills and values that one learns by playing sports, participating in a theatrical performance or playing a musical instrument are under-estimated. Sport and exercise, a life-long custom that should be inculcated into the lives of all children, not only keeps the body and mind healthy, it teaches us about teamwork, cooperation, respect, perseverance, self-confidence, integrity and self-discipline. Based on the advantages of providing a well-balanced educational program, at the MET we will be offering a diverse and comprehensive athletics program that will cater to all children’s needs and desires. We will have both competitive and non-competitive sports. What’s important to us is that all students participate, exercise and learn to play as a team. We are also currently creating a unique outdoor education program in partnership with Earth Train (http://www.earthtrain.org) and Off Bound Adventures (http://www.oba.com.co). Our students will experience Panama and it’s biodiversity like they have never done before! Nicholas Reeves Headmaster

Ten objectives of our Physical Education and Sports Program at the MET At the MET, physical education is an integral part of the total education of every child from preschool through Grade 12. Quality physical education programs are needed to increase physical competence, health-related fitness, self-responsibility and enjoyment of physical activity for all students so that they can be physically active for a lifetime. Below are ten objectives that we aspire to achieve through our physical education program: 1. Improved physical fitness. 2. Skill development including motor skills, which allow for safe, successful and satisfying participation in physical activities. 3. Regular, healthful physical activity through developmentally appropriate activities for all children.

4. Support of other subject areas by serving as a lab for application of content in science, math and social studies. 5. Self discipline. 6. Leadership - students have the opportunity to assume leadership and cooperate with others. 7. Stress reduction, tension relief and promotion of emotional stability. 8. Strengthen relationships and encourage socialization among peers. 9. Improve self-confidence and self-esteem through the mastery of skills and concepts in physical activity. 10.Give children the opportunity to set and strive for personal, achievable goals. Page 3

Educating the Soul - The Importance of Music in Learning Scientific research on the neurological and developmental effects of music has fascinated educators and parents with the possibility of children's learning enhancement. Compared to the long history of research on language, our scientific understanding of music is new. Fortunately for parents, enriching their children's lives with music can be easily and pleasantly accomplished. From soft music in the nursery to musical toys and dance lessons, encouraging music involvement in a fun way strengthens children's educational, physical, and emotional development. When learning a song, a musical instrument, or a dance step, the child experiences the unique integration of body and mind that music provides. Sensory integration is a crucial factor in children's learning readiness for school subjects such as reading, writing, and math. Music improves spatial-temporal reasoning, a neurological process needed to understand mathematics. Research done at the University of California-Irvine indicates that young children taking music lessons have a greater ability to grasp concepts that are also essential to math and science. Coordination and concentration are also improved when, for instance, children take instrument lessons. Mastering a song or technique allows children to feel a sense of accomplishment

César Castillo My name is Cesar Castillo Thompson and I have the delicate and deep responsibility of guiding our new MET students through the marvelous world of music. I love sports and political science. Motivated by the thought of deepening my studies into music, I decided to study in the College of Fine Arts of the Universidad de Panama. I was then admitted at the Universidad de Costa Rica where I studied to play the trumpet and to be a Musical Director. In San Jose, I had the opportunity to teach at the Colegio Mi Patria and work as a teacher assistant at the Universidad de Costa Rica for the course of Beginner’s Band. When I returned to Panama, I worked at the Colegio Isaac Rabin in the design and implementation of the program of interpretative arts, thereby founding the school’s orchestra. Now I feel very happy with this new step in my career, especially because I know that the world’s best vocation is that of serving, filling the soul of beautiful sounds, educating with love, sowing music to reap better human beings: citizens of the world with noble and beautiful sentiments, enriched by their interior power of music.

Oryana Racines Oryana Racines completed her musical studies with a Bachelor’s degree in Music, with an emphasis in Violin, and a Higher Technician degree in Music with an emphasis in violin at the Instituto Nacional de Música in Panama. She also obtained a Diploma in Musical Pedagogy with emphasis on Violin and Elementary Music Pedagogy at the State University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart, Germany. Besides being a polyglot, proficient in Serbian-Croatian, German, Spanish, and English, Oryana has great experience with the pedagogy of music. She was the violin instructor at the summer camps of Fundación Sinfonía Concertante, the Asociación Nacional de Conciertos, and the Seminario de Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles. Oryana is also a current member of the National Symphonic Orchestra of Panama. She currently works as the violin professor at the conservatory of the Instituto Nacional de Música and will be the MET’s violin and music instructor for Preschool and Elementary. Page 4

Educating the Soul ... and a desire to move on to the next and increasing blood and challenge. These feelings of pride oxygen flow to the brain. can also improve their confidence in 4. Music is mathematical. the classroom. Certain musical structures The following eight steps are stimulate specialized brain summarized from An Introduction to circuits, allowing learners to The Music Revolution, by Dr. decode complex ideas more Jeannette Vos, co-author of the easily. world's biggest-selling book in 1999, 5. Music inspires emotion, creating a clear passage to The Learning Revolution. long-term memory. 1. Music relaxes the mind and 6. Music is a state-changer and lowers stress levels that inhibit can be used effectively to get learning. When used effectively, students into an effective it increases alpha levels in the learning state. brain, boosting memory and 7. Music is a universal language, uniquely capable recall and allowing the brain to access reserve capacities. of crossing cultural barriers 2. Music acts directly on the body, and training in ethnic specifically on metabolism and traditions and values. It can heartbeat. Listening to certain set a dramatic stage for types of music can trigger the lessons in history, foreign release of endorphins, language, sociology, political studies and geography. producing a tranquil state that leads to faster learning. 8. Music is a powerful anchor 3. Music stimulates and awakens, that moors learning in reviving bored or sleepy learners memory.

What people are saying about the MET “100% of the people that we have referred to the Metropolitan School have given us positive feedback on your school.” LARISSA ZAMBRANO VICE-PRESIDENT SERVICES GS RELOCATION

“We are thrilled to have found a school where the values and energy seem to embody what we are trying to create in our own family. We have been searching for a school that ‘oozes’ passion, purpose and academic excellence. We think we’ve found it.” MOTHER, PRE-K4

“As soon as we walked through the doors, the MET team made us feel right at home. We know this will be the best school for our children.”

MOTHER, 1ST GRADER AND 3RD GRADER

Kristina’s Corner

Breaking News!

We are pleased to announce that our school uniforms are here! We are currently organizing everything in order for the purchase process to be as smooth as possible for all of you, and we will be announcing soon the date in which we will open the uniform store. Please stay tuned.

The Metropolitan School of Panama has officially been accepted as a candidate school for the Primary Years Programme. The MET is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy — a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that we believe is important for our students. Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its three academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), or the Diploma Programme. Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted but we are working diligently towards that goal. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org

I would also like to mention that some of our grade levels are already full, and we are starting to have a wait-list for spaces in some of our classes. I urge any of you who have not completed the enrollment process of your children to do so as soon as possible so as to not risk your child’s space for the 2011-2012 academic year. Please contact our office for any additional information you may require. Finally, we encourage any of you who have not had the chance to visit our school facilities to do so. We are having weekly visits to our building on Fridays at 10am sharp. Please sign-up for the weekly visit by calling Emily at 317-1130.

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