Recap Of Our Challenging School Year

This year has been a huge challenge for us here at ISM. We have had to deal with a global pandemic and government issues. Although we have been through so much these past months, it didn’t stop ISM from accomplishing many things and handling online and in-person learning. As we are very close to ending the school year, let's recap some of our accomplishments.

Blogger:

Daniel Saud

Ms. Paola Digital Marketing 

5/29/2021

We started back in August with teachers preparing and learning to distance teaching. Our younger ones were able to come to campus at times and our teachers and students were able to learn and teach in a COVID-free environment, always respecting the safety measures. There were also virtual student council elections, and our STUCO did a great job at maintaining school spirit besides the distance. Activities included treasure hunts for the younger ones on campus, distance Freaky Friday, we all united for bullying prevention month, among other STUCO planned activities. Our PTA also planned events such as a Santa visit in December where kids received treats and enjoyed their day in pajamas. By January, most of us were expecting to welcome back our upperclassmen, but due to a rise of COVID cases they couldn’t and our elementary and preschool students stopped coming to school in March. Regardless, our super teachers managed to make distance learning as effective as possible. 

We were also able to maintain our community united through our new Instagram account and our student blog created the marketing class and our teacher Ms. Paola Garcia. Parents and students have been able to stay up-to-date on our Instagram account and have been able to share pictures from their distance learning.

Another of our worries was trying to find what to do as our annual service-learning project. Luckily, Mrs. Ferieda Mohamed came up with the idea to plant around our campus and make small gardens. Since the beginning of December students planted at home and then in January they brought their plants to school and planted them in their designated area. Our high school students worked several hours in creating two gardens and reached their goal of having their plants survive at least until May. 

It is now May, and we are so close to the finish line. Our seniors have finally graduated and completed this crazy online year. We are all so proud of our fellow students, teachers, and peers for accomplishing this huge challenge brought to us. We hope that we are all able to return next year and finally get to have safe, in-person classes.  

Festivals and the Green & Gold Olympics

Blogger: Raimon campos

At ISM I have had lots of ups and downs which I will be telling you all about. In ISM we always celebrate festivals and the Green & Gold Olympics. 

One of the festivals that we have -which is one of the best so far- is Halloween. Halloween in our school has changed a lot during the years. Although lots of us have matured and might have grown out of some childish considered celebrations, this doesn't affect us the meaning and feeling of entering a haunted house or playing exciting games still remains. As kids, halloween was just as awesome, we were always running through the parks and scaring people. I'm sure that your kids have done the same. They might have told you stories about how amazing Halloween in school is and still is. 

An event that all the people in the school like is Green & Gold, in Green & Gold we have always played some sort of sport. One of the sports that I'm most excited and interested in is Soccer. Soccer is one of the best sports that humans can play. If you have kids I recommend you tell them to try soccer. My friends and I had the best time of our lives playing soccer at school. We would always try to be the best and score the most goals at recess, PE, school tournaments and practice Green & Gold games and truly at any chance we got. But soccer is not the only sport we play at Green and Gold, we also play Kicking Ball, Basketball, Volleyball, Catching the flag and other great activities. I would like to anyone reading this from the school to remember all of these great moments we have had during these events, I assure you will have a huge sensation of nostalgia because I sure did.

To conclude I would like to say how amazing my experience as a student has been at ISM. I truly would not replace this experience that I have had with anything. Friends, moments, events and much more which I will never forget and am fortunate to have had. If you have been at ISM for a long time I am sure you can back this up and if you are just starting your experience at ISM trust me you have a lot of great things coming your way.

Why would you recommend ISM to other people outside of the community?

Diego Perdomo

Student Blog

Ms. Paola Digital Marketing 

4/29/2021

For somebody that has studied basically all of his life at ISM, I can tell you all of the ups and downs of being an ISM student, and personally, I have loved my experience here. That’s the reason why I will tell you why I would recommend this place.

I have been in ISM for a very long time (since Kindergarten until now, 10th grade). Over this time, I have gained tons of knowledge while experiencing special moments, making me feel grateful for having the opportunity to study in such a school. 

One of the biggest advantages I have encountered in ISM over other schools in my town is its rigorous and complete English program. Although many other schools may have English classes as part of the Venezuelan curriculum, at ISM you truly go deep into your English skills, eventually developing as your second language. Having English as a life skill brings you many opportunities in the world, such as studying in other countries like the United States, England, and Canada.

This school also has given me excellent memories which I will always cherish and carry with me. From Halloween parties to Green and Gold tournaments, all of them have had some of the greatest moments any students would like to. We have unique events where we learn how to work in teams, compete in various sports, and value the great thing of being together. 

Here I was only able to mention some of the great things being an ISM student provides and honestly I would go on all day if I continued. I hope this may have opened your eyes to the great opportunities which are waiting for students at International School of Monagas.

Our Small Contribution To The Community

Blogger: Zebastian Peñaloza/Grade 11

If we all put our little contribution to the world, it would constantly be growing and unifying our values. At ISM we always look for ways to help our community every year to make a beneficial and positive impact. Taking into consideration our contribution in recent years to our community, we had focused more on helping outside of our campus, but due to COVID-19 safety measures, it made it hard for us to donate to people in need, such as the orphanage. For this reason, this year’s service- learning project became school and planet-based. What’s better than taking care of our campus and making it more beautiful? We learned to value the Earth so what’s a better gift to nature than to take care of it.

As part of the process, each grade was assigned to an area on the school to work with. Students from 10th to 12th grades decided to make a small path garden in our cafeteria area. There was a lot of space there and when we used to go to school we would spend a good amount of time in the cafeteria. Many students brought in plants that they grew at home and others were bought. Regardless, the majority of them came to school, following safety COVID-19 protocols, and worked hard on the garden by planting and watering plants. Others worked hard to create the small path and painted part of it to add special details.

Not only did students work on this year’s service-learning project, but teachers did as well, by helping in one way or another to work as a team, dividing tasks equally, supporting us, and giving constructive opinions. Thanks to Mrs. Rania Yaacoub, students have obtained lots of information and have gotten to learn about how to properly take care of plants and how each of them requires different care.

This has been a great service-learning project since it will be long term and students are required to look out for their plants until May and take care of the garden in general by keeping it alive and clean until their graduation. Therewithal, we have learned to value the effort and dedication that’s needed to achieve the objectives, adding values such as kindness, patience, gratitude, and humility.

How does it feel to be a Senior?

How does it feel to be a Senior? 

Blogger: Valeria Fiorello/ Grade 12

March 16,2021

People have different opinions or perspectives of what your senior year is like, or will be like. Some wish it arrives quickly and others not as much. But for me, I can describe it in a couple of words: mixed feelings. On one hand, I feel excited and happy to see the moment I had always seen so far away but, on the other, some part of me refuses to accept that this my last year is right here. This is the point of your life where you start to realize the importance of the next decisions you will take and, in this specific moment of mine, I was not expecting to go through this year the way it has been due to the reason we all know. It is my time to start making decisions that will influence my future, and in the present, we are still uncertain of what’s coming up in the middle of the chaos. But, above all, you might ask, what does it actually mean to be in Senior year and what are “all those decisions” I refer to. First, you need to choose the career you would like to pursue, and that’s hard just by itself. Then, you need to decide whether you leave the country or stay, doing a lot of research and spending a lot of time exploring options. Things such as the place where you want to live, or the quality of education you would like to receive, and even the money you might need, are a big part of this long story. Not being this hard enough, add the responsibilities you still have at school (your classes, extracurriculars, sports), and the activities you might have at home or if you decide to get a part-time job. It is definitely not easy at all, but one thing I can say, it is the most important and special year of your secondary life.  In general, I have to admit we haven’t enjoyed our Senior year or made our last memories. But in my heart, I can feel the happiness of facing this situation with my class, with whom I have been with for several years. How does it feel to be a Senior? There’s no exact answer. I feel anxious since I'm at the point where I hope time doesn’t go by too fast so I can make the best decision and enjoy this stage of my life I’m about to leave behind. I definitely feel nostalgia for everything I’m leaving behind when the day finally comes. But also, happiness for where we have all come even through the difficult times we are living today.

We always wish to grow up, without realizing the fact that what people say about childhood is totally true: it is the best part of life. However, I can’t wait to see what life will bring for me and for my class, after taking a different journey. We never know what’s going to happen next, we don’t know if the celebration we have always wanted will be possible. But one thing I am certain of is that we will always remember this stage of our lives. 

The other side of the coin

The other side of the coin

Blogger: Andry Rodríguez / 12th grade

March 1st, 2021

It is not new that life has changed for everyone nowadays, but for us as teenagers and students, it has become more than challenging. Sometimes, I think people around me perceive that life for students is simple and easy. They have told me (especially adults) that to have a job is a more complex task, but I disagree. I believe that not knowing which path your life will take is already quite complicated. For about a year, I have woken up every day not knowing what would happen next, uncertain of the future, and asking myself when this pandemic will finally end. Burning questions all over my mind have blurred my vision for the future: Would I be able to complete all my documents to move out of the country and have face-to-face contact when going to College? Would I be able to see all my friends together one last time before moving? Would I really have the chance to close this stage of my life to get ready for the new one? I won’t lie, it feels pretty demotivating. But this is the primary reason why I disagree with adults. Students’ lives, especially during COVID-19, have become more than complicated.

Imagine this. If it was challenging to quite understand a new concept in a classroom, a place where students would have the chance to look to their classmates with a confused face and desperately looking for answers, learning through a screen, having questions and concerns, being interrupted by multiple factors (internet connection, power, dogs barking, social media notifications...yep!) has become an extreme sport. We have to battle against all of these factors (and more that I did not mention), and try to stay connected, focused, participative, and motivated to continue our learning process, even in the circumstances we found ourselves in. If you are a teacher or a parent, have you asked yourself... How do we (the students) all feel? It has been months -about a year, actually- and some of us still do not understand or get used to this new student lifestyle. As teenagers, we complain about everything (part of being in this stage of life), but now more than ever our complaints are not caused by hormonal changes or just following a trend; we complain based on fear, uncertainty, anxiety, discomfort. We used to complain about going to school, waking up early, staying almost the entire day there, and now when we do not have the opportunity, now we can see the value of the days in which we could go, interact, and spend time with our friends. We can see the value of having all of those experiences that have been forcefully paused. We feel the nostalgia of not having a typical Senior Year. Every day is a challenge, and it is hard to find motivation when every day seems the same, and this feeling of not finding an apparent end to all of this is heavier. 

Stop one second. I am not being pitiful. I am just trying to be a voice, to show this side of the story. I can say as a student, aside from how complex learning has been, that we have grown so much in other ways. We have found ways to keep up with our student life, ways to stay connected, and ways of attending even though it has become virtual. Today, I believe this keeps us stronger and intelligent in our ways of overcoming these situations. Maybe without wearing a uniform, but with the effort of being there. Even though it is frustrating growing each day little by little, and our effort might not seem as much, we are here, and we are still working. It has not been easy, but it is satisfying to say even though there is a pandemic out there, we are still learning, and as life changes every second, we have noticed that from every experience we learned.

Let’s keep it up, Jaguars!

Welcome to our new space!

Welcome to our new space!

Blogger: Sofía Violo / 12th grade

Feb. 12, 2021

Have you ever imagined having a special news site for the ISM community? After being so far apart for almost a year, we need to re-connect and feel at home again. So, having this new blog as a way to promote the online school spirit, while receiving information, and interacting at the same time sounds like a great idea. This 2021, ISM’s new Digital Marketing class will work on creating a blog where you will be able to read about exciting information from us -your classmates- and feel closer to school. Every two weeks, we will be posting informational content where you will obtain knowledge about important dates and events, also read about new projects the school develops, and experiences from every member of the community. Achievements and goals, tips, and guidance are other things the members of Digital Marketing will offer to you. Not only this, but suggestions and questions will be heard and taken into account. Now more than ever, when we don’t have any type of physical contact or communication, it is important for the community to express from different platforms and points of view, to give ideas, opinions, and facts on what’s happening and how to make it better. Please be open to this new project and help us take it to the next level, we really hope you like it! 

• Today, Friday the 12th of February was the celebration of Valentine’s day at school. To help STUCO and promote school spirit, the ISM community wore pink, white, or red clothes, and shared their enthusiasm by sending pictures to STUCO. We also had a bake sale at school for the ones who wanted to go to campus, where cookies and cupcakes were sold.

• In addition, today in Venezuela we celebrate National Youth Day, being the best date to present our new project, which is innovative and specially designed for us, the students of ISM.

• Last, but not least, we have already started -and will continue in the next few weeks- our Community Service Project. Every bit of help is a great contribution for both the school and the planet, and you will be able to gain service hours too!