Post on 22-Jul-2016
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Elementary School. Art Projects Using Shades
Summary of Contents
At the Cutting Edge of International Education. Dr. Alberto Domingo 3
A New Vision of the American School of Valencia. Mr. Michael L. Smith 6
2014-2015 Annual Infographics 10
How Do ASVs Students Scores: External Assessment Results 11
One Family, Two Sisters Different Path Ways 13
Extraordinary Student Achievements 16
ASV is a Caring Community 17
The Adventures of Studying Abroad. Success Beyond ASVs Doors 18
Academics and Athletics: Opportunities for ASVs Student-Athletes 19
ASV Going to the World the World Coming to ASV 20
A Global Vision: ASVs Model United Nations Programs 22
A Helping Hand: US University Student-Teachers 24
Bringing Extracurricular Activities to Life through ASV+ 25
ASVs Got Game: Sport Events and Other Extracurricular Experiences 27
A Summer Success: ASVs Summer Program 30
Infographic: ASV Next Steps 32
ASV Foundation: Forging Ahead 33
ASV by the Numbers: A Brief View of the Schools Progress: 35
Mr. Ildefonso Segura
CREDITS
Concept, graphic and editorial design: American School of Valencia
Photos: ASV photographic archive
Artwork: Elementary School students
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 3
This is an incredibly exciting time for the American
School of Valencia and our school community. As we
begin preparations to celebrate our 35th anniver-
sary in 2015-2016, a buzz is in the air with new
changes, innovations, achievements, facility improve-
ments and an energizing spirit of reimaging our
school and the future for our students. As our Direc-
tor frequently reminds the Board of Governors,
Nothing changes if nothing changes. So, it is in-
spiring to be at ASV and watch our growth year
after year.
Before many of you begin travelling for your sum-
mer holiday, I would like to take this opportunity to
share with you a few words and some observations
about the 2014-2015 Academic Year. In the Par-
ent Association Meeting (Associacion de Padres de
Alumnos) on July 2, 2015, some parents commented
about improving communication to our school com-
munity about our vision and goals. If you missed our
Directors presentation at the Parent Association
Meeting, then I am confident that publications such
as this Annual Review will help to inform you about
the myriad of improvements that our school is tire-
lessly pursuing. Actually, as parents and sharehold-
ers, it is also our responsibility to read through this
Annual Review. So, please take a few minutes to
read through this report carefully and feel as proud
as I do about the progress, developments and ac-
complishments of our school community.
As happens each year, I was immensely impressed
with the composure, words of wisdom, emotion
and sentiments of gratitude that our Class of
2015 students so eloquently expressed during the
High School Graduation and Award Ceremony on
June 5, 2015. Without a doubt, these forty-nine
students have a promising future awaiting them,
and we can all be proud of their achievements.
Their poise, wit, humor and eloquence as they
delivered their speeches was nothing less than
impressive, and they bear witness to the outstand-
ing education they have received while in our
care. We wish them success, happiness and joy in
all of their future endeavors.
The Class of 2015 is not only preparing for today
or even tomorrows world. Rather, they are prepar-
ing for a world for the next fifty years that is bound
to change exponentially. Therefore, it is always
essential for a school, like ASV, to continue to adapt,
not only to the needs of our students, but also to the
world for which we are preparing them. From the
greater integration of technology in the classroom,
to examining some of the critical economic and polit-
ical questions of our time, to looking at how we can
preserve this fragile planet which we inhabit, or
working toward a mutual understanding of one
another, we must continually adapt our curriculum
and the manner in which it is instructed to meet the
needs of our students for tomorrow and the decades
to come.
Our students have certain advantages as a result of
their multilingualism, exposure to the world at-large
through the International Baccalaureate (IB) pro-
gram, Model United Nations, student exchange
programs, as well as their daily interactions with
students from the twenty-four nations that attend our
school. This is what we are calling the ASV Differ-
ence, and I believe we can all agree that traits such
as diversity, multilingualism and open-mindedness
are all important ingredients of the success of our
children, now and for a lifetime.
Fortunately, our children are surrounded by a truly
caring staff of teachers, administrators, coaches,
and support personnel who understand and have
even personally experienced the demands of the
real world. Ultimately, it is our students who benefit
from the vast experiences of our community of edu-
cational professionals. Students will continue to
learn the values of perseverance and problem-
solving, but they will not need to forge ahead as
independent learners. In todays complex world, we
continually strive to provide our students with the
skills necessary to be lifelong learners, critical think-
ers, and assertive problem-solvers. As I am writing
this letter, as well as through my own professional
experiences with ASV students at the university level,
I am confident that our students are truly prepared
At the Cutting Edge of
International Education
Dr. Alberto Domingo Cabo
President, Board of Governors
By Dr. Alberto Domingo Cabo
American School of Valencia
Page 4 Annual Report 2014-2015
to make an impact in the world.
It is no coincidence that as we have implemented a
variety of changes and innovations over the past
two years that our twelfth grade students have also
earned the two highest Selectividad results in the
long and distinguished history of our school: 7.90 in
2014-2015 and 8.20 in 2013-2014. It is equally
important to note that twelve students graduated
this year with an International Baccalaureate Diplo-
ma. Once again, our IB students excelled and
earned results above the International Baccalaure-
ate average. Successful academic results such as
these are a continuing testament to the commitment
ASV makes, day after day, year after year, and
student after student to provide the best internation-
al education.
It is also with much sadness that due to the gradua-
tion of their chil-
dren from ASV, I
must announce that
three of our distin-
guished ASV Board
o f Gove rno r s
Members : Mr .
Joaquin Martnez
Gmez, Ms. Carmina Oliver Saez and Dr. Debra
Westall, will be leaving the Board of Governors
after the General Shareholders Meeting in Febru-
ary 2016. They have served our school community
faithfully through their volunteer positions on the
Board of Governors for a cumulative of 34 years.
No words can express my gratitude for their un-
flinching commitment and dedication to our school
community and wise counsel on a variety of issues
for so many years. They will be missed tremendous-
ly and we wish them our most heartfelt best wishes.
Thank you once again Joaquin, Carmina and Debra
for all you have done to make ASV what it is to-
day . . . a great school.
Lastly, I am exceptionally proud to report that the
American School of Valencia Foundation has contin-
ued to expand its activities and events for our
school community, as well as the Valencian communi-
ty at-large. Throughout 2014-2015, we have been
promoting the ASV Foundations Mission of:
Creating opportunities through languages, educa-
tion and community service. The ASV Foundation
was created in March 2014 to fulfill three objec-
tives:
1.) Participate in multicultural education
2.) Promote access to studying abroad
3.) Growth through community service
On October 31, 2014, the ASV Foundation spon-
sored a very successful Halloween Party with over
800 attendees, which was followed on November
21-23, 2014 with the Foundations support of the
Valencia Model United Nations (VALMUN) confer-
ence, which was hosted by ASV. The Foundation
also hosted the Second Annual BBQ on June 19,
2015 with the support and participating of many of
our local and school community, including the Berk-
lee School of Music. Collectively and as a result of
the generosity of our local and school community,
the ASV Foundation raised over 16,000.00 to
support its Mission.
The ASV Foundation is planning additional events
for 2015-2016, and the support of our school and
local community is paramount as we endeavor to
Successful academic results such as these are a
continuing testament to the commitment ASV
makes, day after day, year after year, and
student after student to provide the best
international education.
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 5
make a difference in the lives of children locally
and abroad. As we all know, the altruism and kind-
heartedness of the ASV school community is what sets
us apart from many other school communities.
Collaboration is one of the key 21st Century skill sets,
and we have this in abundance at ASV. The educa-
tion of each and every student at ASV is a collabora-
tive process between parents, teaching staff, support
personnel, administrators, and most importantly our
students. I am continually impressed with the sacri-
fices so many parents make to enroll and maintain
their children in ASV, as well as the dedication and
commitment of the ASV staff to our childrens holistic
welfare. It is truly an exciting period for our school,
and working together as one school with one vision
creates the foundation for years of success yet to
come.
The ASV Board of Governors, of which I am honored
to serve as the President, established three major
goals five years ago:
creating a true communi-
ty, with a commitment to
society around us; creat-
ing the appropriate
environment in which
teachers and staff can
work towards our com-
mon objective of providing excellence in educating
and instructing our children; and creating an institu-
tional inertia respected by all our community mem-
bers. Today, with pride, I can assure that we have
fulfilled all these goals and are planning on new
community wide goals to continue to improve our
school in key areas: academics, technology, activities
and infrastructure. I would like to thank everyone in
our community for their hard work, support and en-
couragement: parents, teachers, the school admin-
istration and my fellow Board Members.
In closing, on behalf of the entire Board of Gover-
nors, it is exhilarating to see the positive progress in
academics, programs and facilities at ASV. Our
school is really on the move and there is no doubt
that continual progress will be made in the coming
years. Our constant and unwavering commitment is
to promote ASV as a vanguard in international edu-
cation. Enjoy your summer and we look forward to
seeing you again in September 2015.
We are planning on new community wide
goals to continue to improve our school in key
areas: academics, technology, activities and
infrastructure.
American School of Valencia
Page 6 Annual Report 2014-2015
A New Vision of the
American School of Valencia
Attempting to summarize and encapsulate an entire
academic year into as few words as possible is
definitely a challenge, especially for someone like
me, who typically has a lot to say. Although it is the
traditional end of the academic year, it is also the
beginning of new adventures and challenges for
many of our students. For those forty-nine students
who participated in the wonderful and emotion-
filled Graduation and Award Ceremony on June 5,
2015, their new lives will entail attending university
and mastering a new craft. For those students re-
turning to ASV next year, they will have new clas-
ses, some new teachers and many new experiences.
Consequently, change is an inevitable part of our
lives, and it should be something that we embrace
as we strive to grow, rather than something we fear.
As some of you know, I am an educator by choice
after a successful career in politics, banking and
private business in the United States. So, when I talk
about risk-taking, overcoming adversity, learning
new skills, or change, I am not talking theoretically
based on a book I have just read but rather as a
result of my lifes cumulative experiences. What I
have found most rewarding is that each change, risk
and even some failures, have made me a better
person and much more able to connect and under-
stand the real world.
At the Parent Association Meeting on July 2, 2015, I
began my presentation with a quote from a legend-
ary American educator, John Dewey, who writing in
1944 said, If we teach children as we did yester-
day, we rob them of their future. We all know that
the world has changed exponentially since the
1940s. Nevertheless, what has not changed is the
mindset necessary to continually push new bounda-
ries and reinvent our lives and world. As a student
from the 1960s and 1970s, I am excited about the
opportunities students have in the second decade of
the 21st Century to learn differently and to prepare
for a bold new world. I mean, how many of us
really want to return to the pre-Internet and pre-
cellular phone age?
Therefore, in the space that I have, I would like to
share with you some of the changes, innovations and
ideas we are planning and implementing to create
a relevant and inspiring learning environment for all
of our current and future students, or what we are
calling a New Vision of ASV.
Firstly, this New Vision of ASV starts with how we
think about our school community. Our 21st Century
world requires a new set of skills that are frequently
called the Five Cs: Communication, Critical Thinking,
Collaboration, Creativity, and Character. These skill
sets are not only for students. They are equally
applicable to our staff and parents. So, we will be
offering a greater variety of workshops and in-
formative meetings throughout 2015-2016 in order
that we can all advance as a school and learning
community to create a One World Schoolhouse as
S a l m a n K h a n o f K h a n A c a d e m y
(www.khanacademy.org) so appropriately express-
es.
Secondly, in a global, increasingly transparent, and
boarder-less world the concept of where learning
takes place has changed. Especially with the advent
and proliferation of technology, learning can and
does take place anywhere . . . not just in a class-
room. So, we will be reimaging what is a Learning
Space beyond the classroom. Consequently, as we
rethink our school facilities, we will be re-imaging
the different styles of learning and about the actual
learners themselves.
Thirdly, we must continue to bring the world to ASV
and take ASV to the world. This can be accom-
plished in multiple ways: virtually, technologically
and physically as follows:
We have already begun and will continue implementing Google Classroom throughout
ASV in multiple stages over the next few
years. This offers our school an exciting,
innovative and collaborative manner to
change the paradigm of how we learn,
Mr. Michael L. Smith
Director
By Michael L. Smith
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 7
communicate and connect with learn-
ers and educators throughout the
world.
In September 2015, we will begin piloting a new technology program in
1st and 2nd grades where iPads and
laptops will be used in conjunction
with Google Apps for Education
(GAFE). Our 1st and 2nd grade
teachers have been training and col-
laborating for this new experience,
and our intention is to introduce these
technologies in subsequent grade
levels. Of course, there is always the
proverbial first step, and we will
learn from our experiences this year
as we implement this concept in other
grade levels next year.
We have and will continue to look for collaborative agreements with schools
abroad to offer student exchange
opportunities. In January 2015, we
began a student exchange program
with the Community School of Naples
in Florida, United States. In February
2016, we will begin another high
school student exchange program
with Foxborough Regional
Charter School, a private
school in the Boston, Massa-
chusetts area of the United
States. These two student exchange
programs will offer an exciting and
enriching experience for 7th through
10th grade students to experience
living in the United States, attending a
different school, living with a host
family and making international
friends. It will also allow more 7th
through 10th grade students to partic-
ipate meaningfully in the student
exchange programs than in 2014-
2015..
With the creation of ASV+, our school has opened entirely new opportunities
for our students and school community.
It is exciting when our students can
meet Olympic caliber athletes, partic-
ipate in dance competitions, begin
learning new world languages, ex-
press themselves and their interests
differently through sports, languages
or dance, or by traveling to different
cities to meet new friends through
sports exchanges. This is an integral
part of the New Vision of ASV and
without doubt, we will continue to
grow and expand these developmen-
tal activities. This is just one more
way in which our students discover
new interests, new worlds and new
potential that perhaps they did not
even know they possessed.
Fourthly, our students are consistently earning
outstanding academic results whether it is
through MAP, ACT, SAT, IB or Selectividad
all external assessment results that validate
the quality and rigor of our academic pro-
grams. As Dr. Domingo indicates in his intro-
duction, we can continue to be very proud of
our students academic achievements, as well
as their community service and university pro-
spects. Increasingly, our graduating students
have the opportunity to study at universities
abroad. There is no doubt that this is also a
success story for our school community, espe-
cially when our students are earning academ-
ic and athletic scholarships. Nevertheless, we
must tirelessly pursue improvement, and we
cannot be complacent and glow about our
If we teach children as we did yesterday, we
rob them of their future. John Dewey
American School of Valencia
Page 8 Annual Report 2014-2015
successes of yesterday or today. As the leg-
endary author and business guru Jim Collins
wrote, Good is the enemy of great.
Fifthly, effective September 1, 2015 ASV will
launch a new and exciting website. Our web-
site team has been working to give our school
website a new and fresh look, as well as to
make accessing school and student infor-
mation through the website and PowerSchool
easier and more accessible. We will continue
to make improvements throughout the year, so
please take a few moments to look at our
new ASV website at the beginning of Sep-
tember 2015
Lastly, as you may have noticed from last
year, we are making significant capital in-
vestments in our facilities, as they must contin-
ue to keep pace with our
outstanding academic results
and the interests of our stu-
dents. We are working dili-
gently on a comprehensive
Master Facility Plan that will
transform and upgrade our facilities, and
most importantly, create learning spaces that
are relevant for 21st Century learning. Our
Financial Director, Mr. Ildefonso Segura, will
elaborate more on some of these facility
improvements later in this Annual Report. So,
please be sure to read on.
As our school begins to prepare for its 35th
anniversary, there is no more exciting time for
our school community. Expectations are high,
academic results are good, productive chang-
es are taking place and the school is flourish-
ing with activity. Of course, our success is only
possible with all members of our school com-
munity collaborating in unison. Therefore, I
hope you will join our dedicated Board of
Governors, world-class staff and hundreds of
committed school community members in forg-
ing ahead with this new vision of ASV. We
are building a new future for our children and
successive generations to come. Nothing
should be more important to our school com-
munity at this critical time of accelerating
change.
I hope all of you have a relaxing and enjoya-
ble summer. Travel safe during the summer
holidays and I look forward to welcoming all
of you back for an action-filled 2015-2016
Academic Year on September 7, 2015. In
the meantime, thank you for a truly magnifi-
cent 2014-2015!
As our school begins to prepare for its 35th
anniversary, there is no more exciting time
for our school community.
Elementary School. Art Project representing Fall colors
Annual Facts
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 11
Our school has a philosophy of
continuous assessment where
students have multiple opportuni-
ties to demonstrate their mastery
of the course material through
exams, projects, presentations,
daily work and class participation.
In addition to these internal evalu-
ations, specific organizations offer
a series of external assessments
in order to provide the students,
parents, staff and the school with
an objective evaluation of our
students academic performance.
Below are some of our schools
external assessment results.
Selectividad
As an American school, ASV students
earn both the American High School
Diploma and the Spanish Diploma
and take Selectividad through the
Universidad Nacional de Educacin a
Distancia (UNED). In 2015, 28 ASV
students took the Selectividad exams
and earned an average of 7.90 out
of 10 in the fase general. This is the
second highest result in the history
of ASV.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Students following the International
Baccalaureate Diploma have spe-
cific exams in May. In July 2015,
12 students earned their IB Diploma
with an average of 30.68. Once
again, this result is above the IB
world average.
PSAT and ACT Testing
ASV administers the PSAT or ACT Plan to all
grade 10 students. These two exams allow
students to become familiar with two of the
most important American college admissions
exams, the SAT and ACT. PSAT and ACT Plan
assesses academic knowledge and reasoning
skills in Critical Reading, Writing, and Math.
The ACT Plan assesses science as well.
In Grades 11 and 12, students who plan to
study abroad take the SAT or ACT at ASV as it
is one of the official test centers in Spain.
These tests are offered on ten different dates
throughout the academic year.
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
At the American School of Valencia, based on
our Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
external assessments, we continue to show
gains in the areas of reading and math. In
reading, 66.7 percent of our students scored
above expected proficiency and 57.6 percent
scored above typical growth for the year.
Our greatest gains were in mathematics, where
our students achieved a 7 percent school wide
increase above expected proficiency. In 2014-
2015, 81 percent of students in grades 3-10
scored above expected proficiency in mathe-
matics.
How Do ASVs Students Score:
External Assessment Results
Elementary School. Project about Comparing and Contrasting Techniques
Experiencing ASV
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 13
One Family, Two Sisters
Different Path Ways
How do you feel after graduating from
ASV?
Andrea: Its been a very tough year, lots of
work, lots of studying, but at the end it has
definitely been worth it and weve accom-
plished what we wanted.
Irene: The school year is a lot of exams, pro-
jects and work, but at the end we earned
good results which have helped us attend the
university of our choice.
What were your goals last year?
Irene: First of all you have your goal to
achieve the best grade possible and then you
focus on what you want to do as a career. In
the end being happy about yourself, your
effort and your ultimate results are the im-
portant goals. In my case, I was preparing to
study to be a Elementary teacher here in the
University of Valencia. So, goal achieved!
Did you have any idea about the path you
were going to take to go to University?
Andrea: I started in 11th grade taking Selecti-
vidad as if I were going to study here in Va-
lencia but at the end of 11th grade I decided
that I wanted to leave Spain to study in the
US with a scholarship, taking advantage of
being a tennis player. So, I continued taking
Selectividad and with my grades at school
and other tests I took another path and I will
end up studying in the US next year.
Have you met your new teammates on the
tennis team in the US?
Andrea: Yes, I met my tennis coach and team
online, have explored the university and peo-
ple there through the Internet, and then I meet
them when I arrive in August. It will be diffi-
cult to leave but I think will be definitely
worth it.
Some things make this school different.
Which features have been really helpful for
Since September 2000, An-
drea and Irene Plantada Cor-
ts have known only one
school: the American School
of Valencia. After the Gradu-
ation and Award Ceremony
on June 5, 2015, ASV is say-
ing farewell to these two sis-
ters as they take different uni-
versity pathways. Andrea will
attend the University of Ten-
nessee at Martin in the United
States as a tennis scholarship
student-athlete. Irene will also
attend university at the Uni-
versity of Valencia where she
will study elementary educa-
tion.
So, how did one family of
twin sisters, attending the
same school take different
pathways? As ASVs Commu-
nications Coordinator, Carlos
Minuesa, discovered, each
sister had her own ideas
about their future.
Regardless of their chosen
and different paths, we are
confident that they will both
excel wherever they go. That
is the ASV Difference.
Andrea and Irene, during the interview
American School of Valencia
Page 14 Annual Report 2014-2015
your future at University?
Andrea: Here at school they prepared me to
be open-minded, meet new people from oth-
er countries, and make friends. You have to
be open minded.
It will be useful for me in the future since Im
leaving I have to meet people that will prob-
ably not be from Spain, which will be really
helpful. And then for example to accomplish
my goal here at school, one of the things that
stood out for me is the all of the help and
support I received over the years from the
teachers, counselors, etc. . . . to accomplish
my goals
Irene: The school prepares us really well to
attend university It is like a big family. The
fact that they teach us to be open-minded,
and the curriculum, prepares us to think about
issues differently and of course we et to meet
new people. This school prepares us really
well . . . it has been an incredible experience.
You described this as a big family. Some-
times high school students are close to ele-
mentary students, or elementary students
are close to preschool students. Is that help-
ful for your future as teacher?
Irene: I think its really helpful. I believe we
grow up as a big family. Its nice that you
have those values. Its good for me as a fu-
ture teacher to teach my students like that big
family.
12th grade students leave a lot of memories
behind. Do you have some memories of
your life here to share?
Andrea: One of the things we will talk about a
lot are all of the trips weve made since first
grade, when we went to la granja escuela, or
the ski trip that was our last trip in Elementary
and then
our last
H i g h
School trip
that was
to Paris.
Irene: I will
remember the nicknames we had when we
were little like Piglet, a teacher called me
Piglet.
Will it be difficult to stay in touch with your
classmates? Many of them are prepared to
start a new life in different parts of the
world.
Irene: With some of them it will be tough, but
with the close, close friends its easy to get in
touch. Nowadays with Facebook, Twitter, or
Instagram I think today its more easy to be
in touch with them.
Andrea: For me, for example, its going to be
a little more difficult since Im living far away.
But with the good friends that I made in the
school they will be here when I come back,
and when Im there I will still be able to see
them. Friends are friends no matter the dis-
tance.
Do you have any advice for 11th and 10th
graders?
Andrea. Its going to be really tough, hard-
work, study-
ing, there will
be times when
you would like
to quit but
then when you
come to the
end of 12th
grade, you think its definitely been worth it.
Then youll start saying I dont want to leave
the school, but you know that once you come
back you know that here are your family and
your friends.
Irene: Like Andrea said, its tough but enjoy
the last year with all your classmates because
at the end we never know what can happen
and when we will see one another again.
Andrea: One of the things that stood out for
me is the all of the help and support I
received over the years from the teachers,
counselors, etc. . . . to accomplish my goals.
Left: Irene, participating in a workshop during the Arts Day 2014.
Right: Andrea waits during a soccer game at ASV in May 2015.
Elementary School. Recreating The Scream with self-portraits
Leading Events and
Players
American School of Valencia
Page 16 Annual Report 2014-2015
Extraordinary Student
Achievements
American School of Valencia is pleased to
have two students who were finalists in the
2014-2015 Robert Sills Student Award. This
award is granted to those exemplary sixth
through eighth grade students enrolled in
MAIS member schools who model the charac-
ter traits that we value most in our students:
persistence, a willingness to take risks, ac-
ceptance of other cultures and points of view,
and a genuine interest in a sustained commit-
ment to others.
Once again, the Sills Award Selection Com-
mittee was privileged to receive numerous
applications and portfolios from many MAIS
member schools and carefully reviewed all of
them for their completeness, quality of con-
tent, presentation, visual appeal, and creativi-
ty. This year's finalist award recipients repre-
sent students from four different nations and
three international schools on two continents.
The 2014-2015 Robert Sills Student Award
Finalists, who will each receive a $500.00
cash prize are two students in 6th grade, Ms.
Olga Ballester and Mr. Ricardo Sez.
Many congratulations to these deserving stu-
dents who serve as role models not only in
their schools but for all students worldwide.
MAIS encourages them to continue their ex-
emplary work and leadership, and
we are proud of their achieve-
ments and the high standards they
set for our school communities.
ASV Student Meets King Felipe VI
In October 2014, Clara Kei March
Okuyama, an ASV 8th grade stu-
dent, was received by His Royal
Highness King Felipe VI as a winner
of the competition What Does Be-
ing a King Mean to You?. Clara
and the 41 children who were
awarded in 2013 and in 2014 spoke with the
King and presented him their projects about
the Spanish monarchy.
Clara went to Madrid with her parents and
ASV teacher Ms. Asuncin Barrachina. We
had the awards ceremony on Sunday, October
26, during an official dinner. On Monday
morning there was an audience with the King.
All our projects were exhibited and just one
minute before I reviewed my work to be sure
that I could explain it. When the King came I
was really surprised, Clara
recalled.
Organized by FIES Founda-
tion the competition is open
to students ages 9 to 14. At
the American School of
Valencia, Ms. Asuncin
Barrachina coordinates the
participation of the 6th
grade students as a com-
plement of the Social Stud-
ies Curriculum. Our school
has been competing since 2006. Past winners
include Sergio Gimeno in 2009 and Ana
Villena in 2010.
Left: Dr. Kristy Beam (ASV Preschool and Elementary Principal) and Michael L. Smith (ASV Director) after handing the diplomas to
Ricardo Sez and Olga Ballester.
Right: Spanish Teacher, Ms. Asuncin Barrachina, and Clara Kei March Okuyama, talking with HM King Felipe VI.
Between paragraphs: Work made by Clara Kei for the competition.
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 17
ASV students are involved in many community
service activities, whether it is through IB Crea-
tivity, Action and Service program (CAS for
those who study the IB Diploma) or those other
activities lead by our faculty, or the ASV Foun-
dation. As indicated on the ASV Profile of the
Graduate, our school wishes to inspire a per-
sonal commitment to service, and the students
willingness to make a positive difference in
the lives of others and to the environment. CAS
students collaborate with organizations such as
Psalo Puzol, Create for Children, SOS Sagun-
to and Tramundi.
This year, all classes from 1st to 10th grade
prepared 20 holidays baskets for families in
Puol. Collaborating with Pasalo Puzol, each
class collected special treats, decorated the
baskets and prepared messages and greeting
cards.
As we do throughout the year, the Sandwich
Run group delivered afternoon snacks to
needs persons throughout Valencia. Grade 6
students donated also money to buy small
winter gifts (socks and scarves) for them as
well
Collaborating with the NGO, Create for Chil-
dren, ASV donated 50 food parcels and col-
lected 6 supermarket carts of goods for the
childrens home El Preventorio in Real de Gan-
dia. Stationary and exercise books were recy-
cled and reused and also put into the dona-
tion. Finally, grade 11 students had a creative
and fun day of holiday craft activities with the
children at the Preventorio as well.
All of these activities make our school mission
come alive as we prepare globally-conscious
students in a collaborative and caring environ-
ment.
Beach Cleanup collaborating with American
Space Valencia
The art exhibition Trash for Some, Treasure for
Others showed in November 2014 at the Poly-
technic University in Valencia was the culminat-
ing piece of a coastal cleanup project promot-
ed by American Space Valencia to raise con-
sciousness about the importance of preserving
our seas. A group of ASV 11th and 12th
grade students were invited to participate.
On Saturday, October 25, 2014 the students
picked up trash from a section of El Saler
beach. A first count totaled 4,390 cigarettes,
240 food wrappers, 139 plastic wrappers,
more than 600 bottles and cans, and more
than 5,000 juice straws and caf stirrers. Two
days later, at the UPV, four Fine Arts under-
graduates guided the students in conceptualiz-
ing and designing sculptures.
ASV is a Caring Community Art work by Ms. Jackie Paarhuis
Beach clean up day, trash and
artwork created with cans.
American School of Valencia
Page 18 Annual Report 2014-2015
The Adventures of Studying Abroad:
Success Beyond ASVs Doors
An increasing number of ASV students are deciding to study abroad.
So, their next steps are a little more complex than other students who
study in Spain. Nevertheless, their journey is equaling rewarding. Of
course, they have a lot of support from ASVs staff. This year, eleven
members of the Class of 2015 were accepted into international uni-
versities. We offer an overview of their destinations. The American
School of Valencia offers guidance counseling to High School students
beginning in 9th grade. University fairs, career day and the university
placement assistance that ASV provides are how the majority of students
determine what they would like to study. Students are more conscious
about the options they have, and the entrance requirements for studying
abroad, ASV Guidance Counselor Veronica Cinosi explained.
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 19
Two students from the ASV Class of 2015
received scholarships to study in the United
States combining their academic life with an
experience on a university sport team.
Andrea Plantada Corts is joining the Universi-
ty of Tennessee at Martin and will play tennis
with the Sky Hawks beginning in August 2015.
This scholarship will allow Andrea to earn her
university degree while she is part of the UTM
womens tennis team. Although she has not yet
decided on her major, she is confident that she
will be happy at university with their expan-
sive facilities, large offering of classes, as well
as the opportunity to play competitive tennis
on a regular basis. Compared with other uni-
versity sports, university tennis teams have
smaller rosters and play a significant number
of matches against other NCAA university
teams.
Andrea signed her National Letter of Intent
committing to UTM on June 2015, with her
family, ASVs Director, Michael L. Smith, and
Assistant Director, Robyn Chapel, present.
According to Mr. Smith, Andrea will love the
team environment, the opportunity to play a lot
of competitive matches, travel across the US,
and she will definitely improve her tennis game.
Academically, she will thrive and be a star after
her stellar academic performance at ASV.
Her classmate Antonio Villuendas Pina has
been accepted at Oakland City University in
Indiana, to study and train with the OCU soc-
cer team. Antonio will study Business Admin-
istration and Sports Administration. Based on
his academic and athletic achievements, he will
earn a dual academic and athletic scholarship
to attend the university.
Oakland is a small city in Indiana and this
university has great sports facilities, Antonio
explained. Regarding the reason he chose
Oakland, he explained he liked the level of its
soccer team and the reputation of the Sports
Administration Degree.
As part of his new life as a student-athlete,
Toni will train every morning from 06:00 to
10:00 and then attend daily classes after
training. He will then play competitive matches
against other NCAA university soccer teams on
weekends along with his teammates.
According to ASVs Director, Michael L. Smith,
this is an amazing opportunity for Toni to com-
plete his university studies, play a sport that he is
very passionate about and as a result of both his
academics and athletics, he has an opportunity
to study in the United States with a nice scholar-
ship. He has the best of both worlds.
On behalf of the staff, faculty and students of
ASV, we certainly wish Andrea and Toni the
best at university and on their new teams.
Academics and Athletics: Opportunities
for ASVs Student-Athletes
Andrea Plantada and Antonio Villuendas signing the National Letter of Intent.
American School of Valencia
Page 20 Annual Report 2014-2015
ASV Going to the World the World
Coming to ASV
This year, the American School of Valencia
started a cooperative partnership between
the Community School of Naples in Naples,
Florida (United States) for a High School
Student Exchange Program. ASV students in
Grades 7-10 had a fantastic cultural and
educational opportunity to attend the Commu-
nity School of Naples and live with an Ameri-
can host family from their school.
As part of this cooperative agreement, stu-
dents from the Community School of Naples
(CSN) attended our school and lived with an
ASV family from March 17, 2015 to April 1,
2015. The exchange program is intended
to foster international mindedness with our
students as well as provide them with a glob-
al education.
On January 8, 2015, the group of sixteen
ASV high school students travelled to Naples.
For over two weeks, they attended school in
the United States and lived with host families
from the CSN school community.
Depending on their grade level, students at-
tended a variety of classes at CSN and they
also had a study hall in order to complete some
of their ASV classwork, ASV Director Michael
L. Smith explained after coming back from
Naples for a short stay during the first week
of the exchange. Our students acclimated
quite easily to life at CSN and they were soon
making presentations, taking quizzes and tests,
just like any other CSN student, Mr. Smith
commented. They also had frequent meetings
with ASV teacher Ms. Susan Belmonte, who
accompanied and supervised the students.
Additionally, ASV students practiced sports
with CSN teams in the afternoons, as well as
attended various activities with their host CSN
student.
CSN organized visits to various attractions
throughout Naples and the surrounding area.
During their first week, ASV students went to
the Florida Everglades and during their sec-
ond week they visited Florida Gulf Coast
University, a nearby university in Fort Myers.
A multitude of other activities and trips were
planned by the CSN host families. I know
that a lot of them had the opportunity to travel
to other cities like Miami, Orlando, or Tampa,
Mr. Smith said, and I am very grateful to the
CSN host families for accepting our students
into their homes and making them feel so wel-
come. I also believe our students were simply
outstanding ambassadors of ASV and its phi-
August 2014
Preliminar visit to
CSN by Mr. Smith
October 2014
Announcement to
ASV community
November 2014
Application and
selection process
January 2015
ASV students visit
Naples, Florida
March 2015
CSN Students
and staff visit
Valencia.
As of July 2015
Preparing exchan-
ges programs for
2015-2016
Photos above and on page 18 show several moments of the ASV-CSN student exchange.
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 21
losophy, and we can be very proud of them
and their accomplishments.
CSN students visited Valencia in mid-March
2015 in order to have the opportunity to
experience the traditional Valencian holiday
of Fallas. They arrived in Valencia on
Wednesday, March 18, 2015 and used the
first four days here to enjoy Fallas with their
host families. The students were in 7th and 8th
grades and joined ASV classes on March, 23.
In addition to the activities at ASV, they had
time for study hall to complete assignments
from their teachers in Florida. They also en-
joyed special activities such as the High
School Assembly and a field trip to Peiscola.
Being comfortable around the world
As Dr. David Watson, Head of Community
School of Naples, explained during his visit to
ASV in March, These sort of trips and expo-
sures to international schools and schools in
different countries, being comfortable going
around the world, makes you different.
Admissions offices in universities are looking
for these kind of experiences. ASV Director,
Michael L. Smith, added that It has been an
incredible experience, and both schools are
benefiting enormously from it.
Students faced a lot of challenges: living with
different families, going through different
routines, attending different types of classes,
and not having their families and friends close
by, but I think it was a great experience for
our students to see a different side of educa-
tion and American life Mr. Smith declared.
Expanding the experiences in 2016
Our school will continue the exchange pro-
gram with the Community School of Naples in
Florida, offering it to 16 students in 7th and
8th grades. The exchange will take place in
January and March 2016. Students in 9th and
10th grade will have a different opportunity,
applying for the new exchange program with
Foxborough Regional Charter School near
Boston, Massachusetts (USA). This program will
be open to ten (10) students and will take
place in February and April 2016.
What students think
about the exchange . . .
Nikita Parfenov. American School of Valencia
I had really good time there and I think it is a really good opportunity. I learned a lot from the school and improved my English to the
next level.
Ins Montoto. American School of Valencia
Some classes were challenging and hard-er. Everyone did sports after school, I went to tennis in the afternoons.
Eleanor Wood. Community School of Naples
People was so open, the classes were so fun and teachers got you involved. The culture is amazing, is so different and I loved
to experience all this.
Ethan Miles. Community School of Naples
Its one in a life time trip: Go outside of America, enter a different school and Fallas was ten times better than any other
holidays in America. It was louder and fun.
American School of Valencia
Page 22 Annual Report 2014-2015
A Global Vision: ASVs Model
United Nations Programs
ASV High School Students are invited to par-
ticipate in one of three Model United Nations
(MUN) programs in 7th through 12th grades
in order to have an opportunity to learn
about world affairs through simulating the
role of United Nation delegates. Students
conduct research on global issues, write reso-
lutions, and develop formal debating skills in
preparation for the conferences. They also
learn about current events, topics in interna-
tional relations, diplomacy and the United
Nations agenda. The Valencia Model United
Nations (VALMUN) is the MUN conference
organized by American School of Valencia:
and was held on November 21 to 23, 2014.
Being a part of VALMUN teaches students to:
Debate issues concerning the world
today
Gain confidence in public speaking
Meet many students from all over the
world
Work in the field of diplomacy
In addition, students have the opportunity to
work with other students from a variety of
American and international schools from dif-
ferent cities and countries.
VALMUN also offers the opportunity to train
delegates who in the future will join
THIMUN (The Hague International Model
United Nations) conference which takes place
every year in Holland at the end of January.
Addressed to students in grades 10, 11 and
12, THIMUN is recognized as one of the most
important MUN conferences for high school
students and is highly recommended in univer-
sity applications.
Successful second edition of VALMUN
From November 21 to 23, 2014 American
School of Valencia hosted the conference
VALMUN 2014. For three days, one hundred
students came from schools in Valencia, Ma-
drid and Oporto, Portugal, as well as the
ASV Delegates. All VALMUN delegates acted
as diplomatic representatives discussing reso-
lutions on issues such as the situation of refu-
gees in Middle East, the rise of militias and
terrorist groups in central Africa and the im-
pact of new technologies on global security.
VALMUN 2014 had four different committees
(Environmental, Human Rights, Disarmament
and Security Council) in which delegates dis-
cussed two pre-assigned topics. VALMUN
General Secretary Francis Garca Westall
explained that each country should come to
the conference with something written that ex-
presses the beliefs of that country on the issue.
Then, they must negotiate and compromise in
order to form a union between the countries in
order that the resolution can pass and a solu-
tion for the topic can be adopted.
By participating in VALMUN, students in
grades 8 and 9 are better prepared for the
Madrid Model United Nations (MADMUN)
they can begin mastering MUN proceed-
ings. The first stage during lobbying you could
see certain students staying with their schools,
or the people they know, in this comfort zone,
Francis Garca Westall described. Eventually,
Left: ASV representatives with Mr. Ismael Tradjic (second on the left) and Mr. Lino Puertas (fifht on the right).
Right: A moment of the VALMUN 2015 General Assembly.
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 23
especially Saturday afternoon, more students
were raising their hands, they wanted to make
their points.
ASV Teacher and VALMUN Co-Coordinator
Ms. Susan Belmonte added that ASV delegates
were very impressed with the other schools and
their preparation and I think that in the future,
with this experience, they will work very hard for
MADMUN or eventually THIMUN when they are
in 11th and 12th grades.
Mr. Ismet Traljic, Chief of Service Management
of the UN Support Base in Valencia, was the
keynote speaker of the Opening Ceremony
scheduled on Saturday, November 22, 2014.
On Sunday morning, the delegates visited the
UN Support Base and learned about the role
technical support offers to all the UN missions
around the world.
THIMUN 2015
A group of 12 students and 2 High School teachers will travelled to The Hague (The Nether-
lands) on Saturday, January 24, 2015 to take part in THIMUN 2015. Once again, the
American School of Valencia sent a delegation to this conference where 3,500 students from
200 international schools perform a five-day simulation of the United Nations. The ASV
students acted as delegates from Uganda in the General Assembly, the Environmental Com-
mission, the Disarmament Commission and two special forums reviewing the UNs Millennium
Goals.
The THIMUN team met once a week since October 2014 in order to prepare their perfor-
mance. According to the ASV Community Activities Coordinator, Marc Boyer, delegates must
write resolutions on certain topics and when they meet other students in The Hague they are
going to lobby to get their resolutions passed as individuals submissions or as a group submis-
sion. Grade 12 Student Nacho Ortega pointed out that it is important to be clear on your
goals and practice the discussion with mock-up debates. Writing our resolution early is im-
portant so students who know THIMUN can give advice to the other delegates to help them
prepare. His classmate Francis Garcia Westall added that THIMUN is a really large confer-
ence and you must have a high level of critical thinking to understand a resolution or quickly
made up an speech in front of 200 people.
Collage showing moments
of VALMUN 2015 (1-4),
how ASV students prepa-
re THIMUN (5) and how
they work at the MUN
conferences (6-7)
1 2
3 4 5
6 7
American School of Valencia
Page 24 Annual Report 2014-2015
A Helping Hand: US University
Student-Teachers
Ms. Allison Flores from Florida
State University worked with Mr.
Robert MacLarty in sixth grade
from January 12 to April 22,
2015.
Being able to be in an atmosp-here where you are not only working with them in Math, in
Reading, in Science you go out
with them and have fun this
creates that atmosphere of a com-
fortable classroom.
Ms. Anastasia Fox of Northern
Arizona University worked with
Ms. Amanda Crespo in third
grade from January 7-March
13, 2015.
Ms. Haley Shukert of Northern
Arizona University worked with Ms.
Mary Cass in fifth grade from
January 7-March 13, 2015.
Ms. Alexandre Scott of the Univer-
sity of Northern Colorado worked
with Ms. Deanna Williams in se-
cond grade from March 2-May 8,
2015.
I am really satisfied, much smarter, getting more kno-wledge than I had I feel very
positive about the experience.
Mr. Keaton Morris and Ms. Hanna Rodenhausen, two student-teachers
from Ohio Northern University in Ada (OH) arrived in September 2014
Valencia to start their student-teacher experience. Ms. Rodenhausen
worked at ASV supporting Ms. Jackie Paarhuis inn the ASV art class-
room. Mr. Morris collaborated with Mr. Mike Melin and worked with
several high school groups teaching Biology and Environmental Systems.
Hannah Rodenhausen:
Its been really cool to see how students grow and change what they learn. Its been exciting. Keaton Morris
The weather is nice. In December its six centimeters of snow in my house, I dont want to go back to that!
Student-teachers are an asset in the classroom, as they bring with them the latest teaching strategies,
enthusiasm and another educator in the classroom. In 2014-2015, the American School of Valencia
was pleased to host six different students from American universities.
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 25
Bringing Extracurricular
Activities to Life Through
In June 2014, the American
School of Valencia intro-
duced a new extracurric-
ular program called
AS V+ , o f fe r i ng
sports, dance and
additional lan-
guages to Preschool
and Elementary
Students. The activities
were offered within the
school day, permitting
students to combine their
extracurricular interests with-
out modifying their lunch or
park times.
ASV+ included
athletic, cultural
and artistic activi-
ties taught by
native or bilingual
professionals, which
provide quality and
immersion in Eng-
lish. The program
enriched the
curriculum while
d e v e l o p i n g
t h e i r o w n
unique abilities.
Starting with 278
s t u d e n t s ,
throughout the
academic year the school community was
invited to enjoy ASV+ Days, open events
including games, tournaments, dance perfor-
mances and learning shows developed in the
classroom.
ASV+ Day. November 2015
On November 15, 2014, ASV organized an
encounter for children enrolled in the sport
activities of Elementary. The event hosted 84
students with their families. Players performed
special training sessions and an exhibition
match and parents attended a formative
workshop.
The purpose of the day was for our families
to come together, for them to meet the coaches
and to see them play, and learn what they have
achieved. ASV+ Coordinator Escarlata Casas
described.
The day started at the ASV Sports Hall where
Ms. Casas gave an opening talk and intro-
duced the ASV+ coaches to the families. Then
the two basketball groups performed their
training in this facility while multisport, soccer
and field hockey groups moved to the ASV
parks. Around these areas, parents gathered
and had the opportunity to watch the practic-
es. The sched-
ule included
a parents
w o r k -
s h o p
focused on how to support children during
their sport development with two invited
speakers: Mr. Jos Mara Server, Technical
Director of the Valencia Field Hockey Federa-
tion, and Mr. Vladimir Babic, former basket-
ball player and first coach of C.B. Jovens
Almssera.
ASV+ Day speakers valued the higher pres-
ence of sports in the ASV community inside the
school timetable. Thanks to initiatives like
ASV+, the new programs will enrich the stu-
dents curriculum. It is important that children
will be able to practice sports within the
school day, Mr. Server declared. It is true
that teenagers face higher demands, both in
sports and school, but I think they can deal
with them being organized, Mr. Babic de-
clared.
Dance Performances in
and out the school
Ballet, Music and
Movement, and
Hip Hop groups
had several
opportunities to
show what they
learned during the year
in and out of the school.
All these students partic-
ipated in the ASV Win-
ter Concerts in Decem-
ber 2014 and had a
American School of Valencia
Page 26 Annual Report 2014-2015
specific show on May 29, 2015, after the Celebra-
tion of Learning Day held in Elementary School. This
concert was a compliment to the hours they spent
learning and dancing during the week. Language
groups (Fun German and Fun French) were present
by singing and performing short plays.
Also this year, the students in ballet and hip hop
participated in the international competition La
Pointe, held on Saturday, April 25, 2015, in Xtiva
(Valencia). The ASV group was divided into three
different teams: the girls in ballet (1st to 3rd grade)
competed in the category fusion and won the first
prize with a special mention, as well as a little gift
for being the youngest participants. Hip hop (4th to
6th grade) competed with one girls team in the
category fusion, which received the second prize,
and one mixed team in hip hop, which received the
first prize.
Extended ASV+ Program for 2015-2016
Throughout the year, we listened to parents and
students about how we can continue to im-
prove ASV+. In addition to the decision of offering
new activities, a significant change will be the ex-
tension of ASV+ to High School students in 7th to
9th grades. We are proud to announce the follow-
ing ASV+ activities for 2015-2016: Multisport,
ballet, yoga, soccer, basketball, field hockey, Fran-
ais, Deutsch, Street Dance, Hip Hop, Robotics, Judo,
Creative Writing, and Journalism.
The schedule for 2015-2016 will be:
PRESCHOOL
PK2Monday and Wednesday
KinderTuesday and Thursday
PK2 and Kinder (Yoga)Friday
ELEMENTARY
1st to 3thMonday and Wednesday
4th to 6thTuesday and Thursday
HIGH SCHOOL
7th to 9th gradeTuesday and Thursday
Find complete information on the ASV Website or
read the new brochure for 2015-2016 on Issuu.
Whay do ASVs staff think?
Elena Corchs. Preschool and Elementary Vice Principal
As a school, it is important to offer opportunities to learn further than the tradi-
tional academic disciplines. The success of ASV+ is due to the high quality of this
program and I am sure that our school life is now richer than it was before.
Andy Ojelade. Athletic Director
As Athletic Director one of my main goals is to make sure that as school we look
to promote a healthy, sporting way of life. Ive seen with ASV+ so many of the
children are active in the school day. Theres no question that ASV+ is a big
step forward in that area.
Miguel Pompa. Elementary P.E. Teacher
I think the activities strengthen childrens self-esteem and encourage them to
fight for their goals. Break times are now full of that sport spirit we always
wanted for our school.
John Stapleton:. 6th Grade Teacher
What I love from ASV+ is that is giving the children the opportunity to learn
and to express themselves in different ways. Children who are choosing for
example Fun French, Fun German, are having the opportunity to learn a new
language. On the physical side the experience what can be life-long activi-
ties.
Chelo Roig. 3th Grade Teacher
ASV+ has been a great idea. One of the reasons is that besides offering a
variety of activities the plus is that they are doing these activities at the school
with friends of the school, also its in English, which is another plus, at is during
the school day which doesnt make the day longer.
Mila Casalvzquez. Elementary Spanish Coordinator
Children of different grades, lower and higher, stay and play together. I think
this is really positive for their social skills. The fact of developing the activity
within the school day is another good feature; it is perfectly fitted within our
curriculum and school philosophy.
Left: Ms. Scarlett Casas, referee during an ASV+ soccer game.
Right: Students and coaches who participated in the ASV+ Olympics on May 23, 2015.
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 27
ASVs Got Game! Sport Events and
Other Extracurricular Experiences
In addition to PE, ASV students have a wide
range of sport activities completing their cur-
riculum. Best known from Preschool to High
School are the Sport Days, a full day in which
students take part in diverse games and enjoy
the emotion of sport competition. In Elemen-
tary School, Sports Day is an excellent oppor-
tunity to build team work and friendship with
other classmates as teams are made up of
children from 1st to 5th grades and 6th
grade students serving as captains.
High School also celebrates several sports
days, some for specific groups or sports, and
others open to the participation of other
schools. That is the case of the tournament
known as Valencia International Schools Cup.
The first VIS event held this year at ASV
brought together 600 students from 7th to
12th grades from the American School of
Valencia, British School of Vila-real, Cam-
bridge House and Caxton College who com-
peted in both soccer and basketball tourna-
ments. Other VIS events celebrated this year
were focused on volleyball, track and field
and swimming.
VIS Cup complements the schools physical
education program as well as promotes team
work and sportsmanship among high school
students: Basically we are trying to give the
students as many opportunities as possible to
experience competition . . . healthy competi-
tion.
ASV players were selected for the team by
assessing sport skills, general performance
and behavior. The children know if they want
to play on the team, they have to behave cor-
rectly in the school, they have to be on top of
their work. It is complete package, Mr.
Ojelade explained. That was the first time
ASV hosted more than one sport tournament
so it was a challenge, Mr. Ojelade declared.
Soccer Exchange with ASB
In April and May 2015, our High School soc-
cer teams had an enjoyable soccer exchange
with the American School of Barcelona.
Students acquitted themselves very well
against strong Barcelona teams who are play-
ing weekly in local leagues, Mr. Ojelade re-
called, and there was an excellent atmosphere
among all players and with the host families.
Teams from American School of Madrid
joined and took part in the second leg, held
at ASV on May 15 and 16, 2015
ASV community gathered around running
Sport is a good way to congregate the ASV
community, not just as spectators cheering our
athletes. On Sunday, April 19, 2015, Ameri-
can School of Valencia was present as a team
in the Women Race 2015.
This popular race of 6,6 kms is open to any
woman who is 12 years old or older and is a
fundraising activity in favor of AECC (Spanish
Association of Breast Cancer).
One hundred women, including High School
students, teachers, mothers, staff and col-
leagues from Colevisa made a great effort
running along an urban circuit in Valencia.
American School of Valencia
Page 28 Annual Report 2014-2015
Outstanding Student-Athletes in our Community ASV students practicing sports out of the school also have outstanding perfor-
mances in their disciplines.
Wrestling
This year, 9th grade student Amon Manville competed and placed 3rd in Free-
style, Cadet level at the Spanish National Wrestling Tournament held in Madrid.
His brother Levi (6th grade) placed 3rd in Greco-Roman wrestling, Schoolboy
level. Levis team took 1st place in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle.
Prior to this event, both ASV students won the Valencia Regional Championships
in Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Their brother Abel Manville (4th
grade) wrestles, as well, but is not old enough to compete in these major tourna-
ments. They train with Club De Lluita Camp de Morvedre in Puerto de Sagunto,
the oldest continuously run wrestling club in Spain.
Field Hockey
Being part of Xaloc Hockey Club, High School students Victor Estela, and sisters
Mara and Sara Domingo were selected this year to participate in the specific
training plan for players under 15 and 13 leaded by Valencia Hockey Federa-
tion. Throughout the year, while they compete with their club, they have specific
clinics with FHCV coaches to improve their skills.
In June 2015, other ASV students playing hockey joined Valencia Federation
and attended an international U18 tournament organized by Junior FC in Sant
Cugat del Valls, Barcelona. For three days they enjoyed high level hockey and
competed with players from England, Germany, The Netherlands, and several
clubs from Catalunya. Students enjoying this experience were: Victor Estela and
Mara Domingo (8th grade); Sara Domingo (6th grade); Mara Snchez, Adria-
na Morillas, Rodrigo Rebelo, Javier Marqus, scar Estela, Mateo Tirado, Aa-
ron Bking, Manel Orts, and Pablo Esteban (5th grade); Ismael Minuesa, Marco
Lpez, Rodrigo Olmo, Lus Gayn, and Jaime Esteban(4th grade); Hugo Olmo
(3th grade); Elena Minuesa and Irene Morillas (2th grade).
Tennis
In addition to Andrea Plantada, who was mentioned on pages 13-14, there are
other outstanding tennis players in our community like Javier Garca Peris and
Clara Kei March Okuyama. We congratulate them for combining high-
performance athletics and academics.
Page 28: VIS Cup held on November 10, 2014.
This page: (1) Flash of one High School sports day. (2) Girls
soccer teams from ASV and ASB. (3) Community members
participating in the Women Race 2015. (4) Boys receiving a
trophy in Junior FC hockey camp.
1 2
3
4
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 29
The Spanish Olympic Women's Field Hockey Team visited
the American School of Valencia and had a special training session with
the students who play field hockey at ASV. The Red Sticks practiced
technical exercises and played a short game against our team, as well
as taught them some basics of field hockey. Afterwards they enjoyed a
lunch in the ASV Dining Hall and exchanged gifts with our students.
This sport is great and not many students know it, ASV+ Coordinator
Scarlett Casas said, so it was a great opportunity to everybody to get
to know this sport, to get to know professional players, and enjoy the
day. Ms. Casas thanked the Spanish federation for their generosity
because its very difficult for a national team to find the time and come;
they have done it, it has been a great success.
Coach Raul Gmez explained they try to do these type of activities to
promote field hockey among children. Our players were very satisfied
after the training session because children learn really fast. Although the
ASV team was created less than one year ago they have a good level.
From May to June 2015, the Spanish Womens Field Hockey team was
in Valencia preparing and competing in the World Hockey League
2015, an international tournament to qualify for the next Summer
Olympic Games. A group of teachers and students attended the game
United States vs. Uruguay during the first round of the tournament and
met with the captain and the American players.
Top pictures: Training with the Spanish Women Field Hockey Team at the ASV
Sports Hall.
Above: Students and teachers with some US hockey players after their game
at the Valencia 2015 World Hockey League.
American School of Valencia
Page 30 Annual Report 2014-2015
American School of Valencia organized a
new edition of the ASV Summer Program, an
immersion English course for children aged 2
to 16 offering daily English lessons, creative
workshops and other playful activities. The
activity took place at our campus from July 1-
31, 2015.
This year, 672 students were enrolled, the
highest enrollment since the school began
organizing this program, and about 90 per-
cent of enrollment was complete before May
1, 2015, a vivid example of how families
from ASV and many other schools in Valencia
are interested in the ASV method.
Our Summer Program encourages children to
think, create and have fun using English. Stu-
dents also have workshops on science, art,
drama, a wide range of sports and outdoor
activities and exciting excursions. Qualified
bilingual and native staff takes care of class-
room activity, sports and workshops.
According to the Summer Program Coordina-
tor, Ms. Felicitas Berazay, It was a huge suc-
cess, we have received excellent feedback from
our parents and students. Children have en-
joyed enormously all the great variety of activi-
ties, sports, excursions, and have proudly ex-
posed their learning at assemblies, preschool
show and elementary and high school celebra-
tion of learning where we had a great number
of parents attending.
Daily routines
Throughout the day at the ASV Summer Pro-
gram, children in Preschool have different
activity centers. Songs, rhymes, and shared
reading are effective ways to start their en-
gagement with a new language.
Elementary students followed the books Our
World edited by National Geographic, but
most of their time is guided by interactive
activities using the digital whiteboards, the
school IT labs, and other games and activities.
Weekly excursions inspire some activities so
Bioparc and LOcreanografic are reflected on
craftworks and presentations. Students also
met once a week in assemblies where they
shared this work and some students received
awards for their effort in speaking English,
cooperating with their classmates or partici-
pating in the activities.
Rotating activities including sports
Students in Elementary and High School
groups have two rotating activities every
week led by additional teachers. A wide
variety of activities were offered this year
including arts and crafts, music, cooking and
USA Style, an introduction to American culture
and society. A second group of activities was
sports led by specialized coaches, some of
whom come from our ASV+ extracurricular
program.
A key to success was the qualification and the
educational experience of our Summer Pro-
gram staff: They collaborated intensively to
provide a strong, high quality curriculum, but
most of all, they have shown their love and
care for their students, commented Ms. Be-
razay ton he last day of this program.
A Summer of Success: ASVs Summer Program
Elementary School. First Grade. Artistic expression through stimuli.
Moving Forward
American School of Valencia
Page 32 Annual Report 2014-2015
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 33
ASV Foundation:
Forging Ahead
A significant fact of this academic year is that
the American School of Valencia Foundation
continued to expand its activities and the ASV
Community showed huge support for the
events and organizations it supports. In Sep-
tember 2014, several events showed the
positive impact of the fundraising activities for
Kapita School. Notice boards and presenta-
tions at ASV offered an overview of the trip
made in July 2014 by our teacher Ms.
Julianne Stall.
During her visit to Kapita School last July, Ms.
Stall stayed for two weeks teaching children
in grades 5th, 6th and 7th and working with
Kapitas teachers. "Everything that we brought
was appreciated and many students had never
seen or used literature books before. All the
students were excited about learning English
and the games and materials we left will be
used. The school needs so much and what we
brought was just a beginning." She travelled
with Ms. Ree Gillet, a former ASV teacher
who is working with the Livingstone Founda-
tion.
In September 2014, we received some photos
of Kapita students wearing their new uni-
forms, the main goal of the funds collected
during the school year 2013-2014. The uni-
forms were made by a local tailor near the
school, and this September the school in Lu-
angwa Valley (Zambia) received the much
awaited order of 300 uni-
forms. As Ms. Julianne Stall
explains: "Even though the
old uniforms were mended
many times and torn, the
students still wore them daily
and were proud to wear
them. Wearing a uniform
means that you are a student,
and are privileged enough to
attend school. Only 57% of
the children in Zambia attend
school and at Kapita the
director works hard to get
children to attend school but
even so many of them are
needed at home to help with
work."
Meanwhile, the ASV Foun-
dation worked diligently,
along with some university
students, on the preparation
of its first Halloween Party
on Friday, October 31,
2014. This
event was a
w o n d e r f u l
example of
what we mean
when we talk about the ASV
Community and your support
and attendance are appreciated
beyond measure., Dr. Alberto Domingo ex-
plained. The party was a huge success with
over 800 entry tickets sold to a broad spec-
trum of school and local community.
The event was possible thanks to the hard
work and dedication of many of our communi-
ty members and contributors. Part of the pro-
ceeds were needed to support an important
ASV activity: the VALMUN Conference. The
ASV Foundation sponsored some conference
costs such as the Delegates Kit, including a
USB bracelet.
Weekly Bake Sales led by ASV Students
An example of perseverance and collabora-
tion from our ASV students and teachers are
ASV Foundation wants to be present and
highly visible in the life of the school, local
community and the Valencian community at
-large.
American School of Valencia
Page 34 Annual Report 2014-2015
the weekly bake sales organized at the school
in favor of Kapita School. Every Tuesday,
members of the Student Council or specific
class groups brought a selection of sweets and
treats to sell during the first morning break.
Barbecue Party Closing the School Year
ASV Foundation wants to be present and high-
ly visible in the life of the school, local commu-
nity and the Valencian community at-large.
After a resoundingly successful American-style
barbecue in May 2014, the ASV Foundation
organized its Second Annual Barbecue for
June 19, 2015. On May 10, 2015, during
ASV Day, visitors could find an informative
stand presenting the Foundations projects and
upcoming activities such as the BBQ party. This
BBQ Party was the last event of the school
year and included access to the swimming pool
for children, a magic show, live music with two
bands, and a silent auction of ASV student
artwork. Funds raised from this event support-
ed local scholarships in the ASV Summer Pro-
gram and other Foundation activities through-
out the academic year.
Summer Scholarships
The scholarships in ASVs Summer Program in
July 2015 are granted every year along with
the cooperation of the Puol Town Council, for
elementary and high school students from Puol
who wish to attend ASVs Summer Program in
English.
Mr. Enric Esteve, the new Mayor of Puol, visit-
ed the ASV campus on Wednesday, July 8,
2015, and participated in a presentation cer-
emony to present certificates to the four stu-
dents selected this year. Mr. Esteve highlighted
to all students the value of learning world
languages and wished them a rewarding ex-
perience at ASV. Prior to the presentation, Mr.
Esteve met with Dr. Alberto Domingo, President
of the ASV Foundation, and Mr. Michael L.
Smith, Director of ASV.
So, on behalf of the ASV Foundation, thank
you for your continued and very generous
support.
American School of Valencia
Annual Report 2014-2015 Page 35
ASV By The Numbers: A Brief
View of the Schools Progress
Mr. Ildefonso Segura
Financial Director
By Mr. Ildefonso Segura Prez
Another school year has ended successfully and so
we truly hope that you enjoy with your families a
joyful and well-deserved summer break.
Throughout the year, the professional team that
comprises the Academic and Financial Administra-
tion has worked diligently through some exciting
new challenges to respond to your enquiries and
requests, which are the fundamentals that define the
high-quality standards that we strive to provide the
entire school community. Although we feel very satis-
fied with the work done so far, we are also aware
that we can never stop in our efforts to improve our
services.
Once more, we have worked in conjunction with the
Board of Governors to optimize the economic and
financial structure in the school according to the
objectives and curricular goals that ASV has esta-
blished. Our aim is to offer the best education possi-
ble along with the coordination of the best profes-
sional team of educators and materials possible.
Combined, this contributes to our position as the best
international school within the Valencian Community.
We have come to the end of the 2014-2015 Aca-
demic Year, and we have complied with the bud-
gets approved before the beginning of the acade-
mic course.
We would like to thank you for your cooperation
which has been essential to achieve this goal. As you
may have seen in February 2015, we presented the
2013-2014 Annual Accounts which were audited
with satisfactory results and with no additional ob-
servations. Therefore, the BDO Audit Report, once
again, stated that the school accounts and records
reflected the true image of the capital structure and
financial situation of the ASV. The audit of the 2014
-2015 School Year, which concludes in August 2015,
will be held during the 2015-2016 Academic Year.
We expect its results to be the same as last years
based on the data that we have processed so far
and which are aligned with 2014-2015 School
Budget.
Regarding the new services introduced during this
academic year, we would like to highlight the follo-
wing aspects:
The improvement of the school lunch service
thanks to the new facilities inaugurated in
2014-2015 has been successful. Our stu-
dents have enjoyed their lunch in more com-
fortable facilities along with stronger efforts
to provide our diners with better service and
attention. We have worked on improving
the menus both in nutritional composition and
variety to encourage our students to truly
enjoy their meal. Also, our Commitment to
Excellence table has been well-received
and enjoyed by our students, and it also
recognizes many of our students special
achievements.
We are very proud of our new Visions caf
which has been open for its first year. Du-
ring this period we have learned from all of
you and we look forward to improving the
service this coming year by responding to
your requests and, especially, to our stu-
dents who were able to see how the service
was reinforced in the mornings during park
time. We will continue to analyze its perfor-
mance. We would like to thank you for your
participation in this project with your atten-
dance, suggestions, as well as your un-
derstanding during its first year of opera-
tion.
With regard to our transportation service,
this year we have continued with our bus
changes policy as it is our intention to provi-
de the best service possible. In order to
optimize the quality of this service with the
available resources, we do our best to
analyze the routes in detail so that we are
able to attend to all of the demands. Addi-
tionally, we have extended our hours to
address bus issues from 08:30 to 18:00
American School of Valencia
Page 36 Annual Report 2014-2015
daily. Concerning bus safet