Table of Contents

Pg 1 Outdoor School 6-7th Grade

Pg 2 Outdoor School             8-10th Grade

Pg 3 Outdoor School 11-12th Grade

Pg 4 Astrobiology Conference

Pg 5 Halloween

Pg 6 NHS

Pg 7 Thanksgiving Dinner

Pg 8 AASSA

Pg 9 Music

Pg 10 Confession Session

Pg 11 Calendar

Pg 12 Games

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7thGrade

 Last year it was

announced there was a possibility that none of the grades would be allowed to go out of the city for outdoor school. Fortunately for the 11th and 12th graders, that wasn’t their situation. They enjoyed their time in Puerto Lopez working at the local school, painting walls and teaching the kids English. Until now, it was unclear the reason why every other class was denied this privilege, but this is what the 6th and 7th graders had to say about it. Our school director, Mr. Nonnenkamp also had something to say about the matter.

Outdoor School Trip 2011-2012

By: José Ramírez 

6thand7thGrade

Students (Catalina Del Pino, Camila Clavijo, Roberta Muller) 1. Where did you go? We went to Casa Hogar, a place right next to Riocentro. 2. What type of service did you provide the community with? We would do several things: play with the kids all day, feed, rock the babies, and do stimulating activities for every kid there. 3. What was the daily routine like? Camila Clavijo said, “We would leave school around 8:00 am both in the school bus and my dad’s car.” Once we arrived there we were asked to wear an apron followed by breakfast. Right after that we played with the kids at the playground, then watched some TV shows or playing around in the classrooms. Finally, we went to Riocentro for our last meal of the day around 1:30 pm and end up in school by 2:30 pm. 4. Did you like staying in Guayaquil better than going away to another region? Why or why not? No, we already know Guayaquil and it would be better to explore other places and have new and exciting experiences. Plus, we will be extremely helpful during community service. 5.If you could say anything to convince the PTO and Board of Directors to change this decision, what would you tell them? It wasn’t our fault, so the students who did it should be the ones getting the punishment not us. Each year the old fifth graders now in sixth grade come hoping for this adventure to come reality and now they have being denied this tradition when it wasn’t their fault at all. 6.Would you propose a deal of good behavior to the PTO and Board of Directors so that next year you’re able to go away instead of staying in Guayaquil? We would request to be put in a trial where our chaperones will grade our behavior, see if we behave well this year and will work diligently in our community service responsibilities.

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Mr.Nonnenkamp

 1. Why were Juniors and Seniors allowed to travel into another province, but leave the rest of the classes in Guayaquil? We believe that they are mature enough for overnight stays. In addition, we hope to increase the contact with the other locations by choosing those closer to IAA. Our 6-10th grades will be able to visit their little friends again in the 2nd semester. More contact means more value to the learning process. 2. Were the classes from 6 to 10 in trial this year in order to prove that they could be trusted in the following years? There was no trial being considered, but we were pleased with the maturity of our 9th and 10th graders. 3. If you were to give a number, what would be the probability that both middle school and high school students go out to other places other than staying in Guayaquil? Not a very high probability for Middle School. It could be something to discuss for 9th and 10th.

6thGrade

 1.Where did you go? We went to a park right outside Puerto Azul. 2.What type of service did you provide the community with? We just help[ed by] painting the park, and on the last day we taught English to the kids of a school nearby. 3.What was the daily routine like? We all left in bus by 8:00 am. We had to wear masks do to the paint and all the paint scraping we had to do. Afterwards, we had a break were we would eat, but right after that we would go back to painting. At 11 we had lunch followed by more painting jobs and finally get back to school by 2:30. 4.Did you like staying in Guayaquil better than going away to another region? Why or why not? Yes, because we worked more than everyone else did, or at least we were one of the hardest workers. We had a six hour work day, about 24 hours in total; plus, we would love to know new places, have new experiences. 5.If you could say anything to convince the PTO and Board of Directors to change this decision, what would you tell them? We will work really hard on our grades to show maturity and prove that we deserve to go.

 

 

 

This year’s outdoor school the 8th, 9th and 10th graders headed to a public school called Escuela Fiscal Mixta No. 7 de Marianita de Prieto at Puerto Hondo, where we did community service from October 17th till October 20th . This outdoor school was chaperoned by Mr. Heaton, Mrs. Carcache, Mrs. Baldeon, Mrs. Zambrano, and Mr. Bolaños. “We had a fun time in outdoor school working with the kids and painting the school,” mentioned Katherine Murphy, 8th grade.

“I grew a good relationship with the kids at Puerto Hondo in a short period of time,” shared Christopher Intriago, 9th grade. The first day, IAA students taught the little kids and played with them for a little while. The second day, 8th and 9th graders taught the little kids and played games while the 10th graders were painting and cleaning the school. The third and fourth days, all of the grades dedicated their time in cleaning the school and making it colorful by painting the walls and the trees.

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Teachers seemed impressed with the work that the students did in a short period of time. “Even though there were a few challenges along the way, the students performed well in whatever task they were assigned,” affirmed Mr. Heaton. Despite the fact that the students served for a small amount of time, they accomplished more than what everyone was expecting. As a reward, teachers took the students to Riocentro mall to have a delicious lunch. “I think this was a good opportunity for everyone to really see the other side of the coin or the real colors, and to leave aside comfort and work really hard,” opined Mrs. Carcache.

This outdoor school was a great success! Students mention that they had made a huge change in Puerto Hondo’s school environment. “We helped make the school prettier by painting the walls, cleaning up the garbage. I hope they learn how to take care of their environment,” answered Daniella Sarmiento, 8th grade. The students from IAA came back home satisfied.

Students Serving at Puerto Hondo By: Arezu Mansuri and Cristina Chiang

The 10th grade boys picking up the trash on the school campus. Juan Diego, Nicolas, Camille, Jose, and Andres. (Photo courtesy of Mrs. Carchache).

Students painting the class walls. Ray, Andis, Marco, Meghan, and Paulina. (Photo courtesy of Mrs. Carcache). Official outdoor school picture, grades 8, 9, and 10. 2 

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The Last Outdoor School

 

By: Jonathan Delgado  

“I really enjoyed kayaking. It was the first time I ever did it.”- Michael Vazquez

“I will always remember falling through the top bunk bed.” - Frederick Intriago

This year’s Outdoor School for the seniors was particularly special because we were able to go with the juniors as well, much like the trip we together last year. Except this time we went to Puerto Lopez. Over the period of four days we relaxed, laughed, and worked hard. It is always a new experience when you’re placed in an environment completely unlike your own. We were able to learn, observe, and appreciate everything on an entirely new level. Arriving there we quickly became accustomed to spending our time as carefree as possible. Though we did spend our days working at the school, we took the night to relax and hangout with our friends. Our afternoons were usually occupied by some sort of activity, like hiking, and if not we spent time at the hotel playing pool, listening to music, and socializing. Arriving at the school, and being confronted with the task of transforming it in 3 days, seemed to be pretty impossible at the time. Many of us had never had any experience in painting or teaching. We did fortunately accomplish what we went there for with the help of everyone’s combined efforts. When we arrived we found the paint of outside walls faded and cracked, but when we left, we left them painted and detailed. Those who were a little more artistic took the time to paint mural within and outside the school. On the day before we left we did have the chance to finally experience another completely new environment; the ocean. We went in a boat to an area where we could swim, go snorkeling, and even kayak. For many this was a new experience, and was extremely enjoyable. The relaxing feeling of your head being cooled by the breeze of the ocean felt well deserved after two days of hard work. Overall I must say this outdoor school experience was a success and a time enjoyed by many others and myself. I’m sure it won’t be easily forgotten, and let’s hope those to come are just as memorable.

Do you believe in extraterrestrial life? Do you ever wonder if we are alone in the universe? All of these questions and more were discussed during the Astrobiology conference in Quito. The conference was held in Colegio Menor San Francisco from November 14-17. Students from over 10 schools attended this conference including the IAA students from the biology and physics classes, also a couple of seniors. “ It was a great experience to further explore the possibilities of life beyond earth,” said Jonathan Delgado.

The students left Guayaquil on Sunday 13th at 3:00pm and arrived to Quito at 3:50pm. The students were hosted by families from Colegio Menor and stayed there all throughout the trip. “They were very welcoming,” said Michael Vazquez.

The first conference began the 14th at 9:00am. Carl Pilcher, the science program director of solar system exploration at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C, was the first one to speak. In his conference he presented a general idea of what astrobiology is.

After lunch, the second conference by astrobiologist Paul Davis started; it ended at 4. Finally, students went to their host families.

On November 16th the conference continued. Starting off the day Seth Shostak the director of the program SETI, (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life), talked a little bit about what the SETI program is. His conference went on until 1:00pm. At 1:00 pm the students had lunch and a break until 2:00pm.

Antonio Lazcano gave the last conference of the day. Antonio Lazcano is a biology researcher and the director of School of Sciences at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. November 16th was the last day of the conference; it started at 9:30am and ended at 4:00pm. Antigona Segura, of the UNAM in Mexico City, was the first one to talk. The last one to speak was Peter Douglas Ward, a paleontologist and professor of Biology and of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. The conference ended at 5:00pm and students were taken to their host families. The next day the students went to Museo de Agua where they spent most of the day. Their plane back to Guayaquil took off at 8:00pm arriving around 9:00pm. The students demonstrated to have a lot of fun and encouraged others to assist the conference. “ I think it was very interesting because I have never heard that much information about extraterrestrial life,” said Nancy Jing after the first conference in Quito.

Life Beyond Earth   The Colegio Menor Astrobiology Conference

By: Jonathan Delgado, Ale Garcia  

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Halloween   By: Frederick Intriago

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Look at those costumes! And the amazing performances by IAA students, courtesy of Fran Del Pino.

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NHS News   By: David Azoulay

Interamerican Academy’s National Honor Society will once again demonstrate how they take to

heart the four pillars that identify them: character, scholarship, service and leadership. On Wednesday the 7th of December NHS hosted the traditional Christmas Orphanage party. NHS vice president Julian Perez, alongside NHS coordinator Mrs. Evans organized the event at Casa Hogar. This year marked the second time Julian Perez is conducting the Christmas Party at the orphanage itself. Already familiar, NHS assigned specific events and activities for the 12 girls and 28 boys to engage in with IAA’s students. The students that were eligible to participate in the Christmas Orphanage Party were students that signed up for service hours prior to the deadline.

On the 7th of December, students with permission will met after school at the specified location. Upon arrival to the orphanage, a warm friendly welcome was established between students, children, and directors. The hearts sold at Thanksgiving granted the orphans with presents and the distribution happened accordingly with the introduction of each child. The versatility presented by NHS parliament enabled students to attend activities and rotate onto another if required. Some managed the babies, others the young girls, and those with more energy interacted with the lively boys. NHS has conducted the orphanage party every Christmas for generations. They have never expected any profits in return, as they believe helping out the community is a priority. Exposing students to events where they are able to help out the community is essential to what NHS stands for.

With the spirit of Thanksgiving spread through IAA’s campus, NHS felt it would be the best time to request for the selling of hearts that represents a single child at the orphanage. With each heart, each family has the responsibility to purchase the specific item(s) assigned. When collected, the items were taken to Casa Hogar and donated to the orphans. As seen previously we, the IAA community, are sure that it was a success. Hugs were spread breathlessly, emotions raced, and most certainly the orphans will be unable to wipe the huge smiles off for a long time. Walking back home, students realized that their commitment to the orphanage party has left a print in their hearts.

Q & A: with Francisca del Pino

Was the event successful for NHS in comparison to other years?

To begin with, the NHS Christmas Orphanage Parties have always been a success. Thanks to the collaboration from IAA students, we were able to pull off another great Christmas Party.

Are there any changes you would like to see in the future?

Next time it would be helpful if we could coordinate a meeting with Pycca. Each child received two presents, and it would have been better if they would have been given a present on different days.

Were there any mishaps?

The kids got very dirty with chalk and some even tried to swallow the material. Apart from that all activities ran as planned.

What memory from this event left an imprint on your heart?

Maria Belen, a child that less than a year old. She was gorgeous and never cried. Even though she was too young to express herself, I felt as if she was the most grateful.

Do you think you changed their lives somehow?

Not really. I thought they would be more appreciative of our efforts, but a majority of them were angry all the time.

On November 23, the annual IAA Thanksgiving Dinner was held on the IAA Covered Area. There was artwork, music performances, and tons of food. The Thanksgiving Dinner was a total success! About 100 people attended to the event with their tickets (cost: $14 for 11 years old and up, $7 for kids 10 and under) and ate the delicious food served at the dinner. Some people didn’t buy tickets; they just left after the music presentation.

Mrs. Carcache, the IAA art teacher and Mr. Perez, music teacher, were the most involved people in the music performance and the art exhibition. The teachers had been preparing and rehearsing for months before the dinner, with 48 hours of anticipation, both teachers were confident that everything was going to turn out as planned; then the big day came.

The Thanksgiving Dinner began at 6:00 P.M. It started out with the musical performance. The emcees of that night were Juan Jose Sanchez and Jinsoo Whang. They announced the music performances. The 8th graders started the evening by singing “Imagine” by John Lennon. “I didn’t forget any of the lyrics so for me it went great!” said Enrique Saunders (8th grader). Then only the 8th grade girls took the stage to sing “Someone Like You” by the famous singer Adele. “We were all really nervous but I think we were ok,” said Daniella Sarmiento (8th grader). The 10th graders were next performing a song called “Wonderful World”. With drums, guitars, and amazing trumpet players, the 10th graders gave a very exciting performance. Right after that, Meghan Wildman, Cristina Chiang and Mariana Lopez performed a song called “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon Five. “We were a little nervous so we forgot the lyrics a little bit, but at the end I think we did fine.” Said Cristina Chiang. The high schoolers sang a remix song of “The Scientist” and “Where is the Love” by the Black Eyed Peas. Right after they finished performing they were joined by the elementary to sing a song called “Price Tag”. The presentations turned out really well. The parents were proud to see their kids standing in the stage and performing.

To finish the night the families got together to have a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner. They said thanks for all their blessings and ate with smiles on their faces. The Thanksgiving Dinner was a true success and everyone enjoyed it. It was really a night to remember.

The IAA Thanksgiving Dinner

  By: Mariana Lopez 

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The InterAmerican Sharks have started their 2011-2012 basketball season, but how much of a start truly is it? Because of many interruptions, like the Thanksgiving holiday, and Finals, the team has not had

too many practices together as a team. “We haven’t really had many consecutive practices, and I think it’s going to hurt us in the long run, especially since AASSA this year is in Quito. We need to be fit in order to

be successful in Quito,” said Frederick Intriago. With only a few practices, Sharks were strong enough to win their first game against Vida Nueva.

“Although we’ve only had a couple of practices as a team, I think we have potential players that are really good, and from the few practices we’ve had, Mr. Domingo hasn’t let one go to waste,” Juan Jose Sanchez

commented. The start of the season only gets worse with Christmas break extremely close. This will be another interruption hurting the IAA Sharks. “I think if we keep practicing and exercising in our own time we’ll be

fine for sure because after the break, we have about one month and half without any more interruptions, so we’ll be able to practice more consecutively,” Rigo Bastidas said. Stay tuned with the IAA Sharks

everybody as they just recently dived into their new season.

Sharks Dive into Basketball Season

By: Michael Vasquez

 

Girls’ AASSA Volleyball Sharks shine despite losses

by Fran del Pino

 It is almost impossible to believe the progress that the varsity girls’ volleyball team has made in only

two months. Galia Czarninski, Fran del Pino, Sara Gilmore, Andis Jing, Mariana Lopez, Alejandra Mercado, Paulina Rovayo and Meghan Wildman played their best in the AASSA tournament at Quito. InterAmerican Academy was able to demonstrate determination, perseverance, and sportsmanship with only 8 players, while most of the girls’ teams had at least 12.

On Friday, October 14th, the altitude, cold, and nervousness the players felt in Quito played against their odds during the first game against San Francisco Menor de Quito. They tried to keep up, but these factors made it very difficult. However, during the second game against Alliance Academy, the Sharks became a totally new team. With full batteries, the varsity girls took the lead and won the first set of the game. “It was very exciting to watch and it had me on the edge of my seat; the girls really pulled it off on the first set against Alliance,” said Mr. Brown after watching this successful set. Although the game against Cotopaxi was also very tough, the team successfully won the first set. “We started having fun and playing our absolute best with Cotopaxi, but it was still a very tough game,” said Mariana Lopez after the loss against Cotopaxi. The Shark’s last game against Americano Quito was really hard, the level of this school was far above the other teams but the Sharks never gave up and played with their head up high until the last point. InterAmerican Academy should be proud of their girl Sharks, they did a great job representing IAA even when it wasn't easy at all.

With only 3 months of practice, the girls were able to show the improvements they had gone through. "I am really proud of my teammates, I think we all did an excellent job in Quito, even though we lost the games I feel that we were still winners because we never gave up,” said Meghan Wildman. At the end of the ceremony, Fran del Pino received the MVP award. The girls playing at AASSA looked like a totally different team compared to the girls playing at the first volleyball practice. They fought until the end, and never gave up that winning attitude.

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♫The Music District ♫ with D.M

  Memorable Band: Nirvana celebrates 20 years of their best album, Nevermind! Most teenagers around the age of 13 and 16 go into a rebellious stage; hormones start to kick in and authority seems nonexistent in their minds. They start jumping around, kicking, pushing, and annoying anyone in their way. Parents start saying, “Stop this!” What is the cure for this disease? Simple, give them Nirvana’s album Nevermind. Nevermind has been globally acknowledged as the cure for the last 20 years and will continue to be so for generations to come. Thick, crunchy guitar sounds calm those hormones, and put them in a sleep mode. You could ask the doctor, but unfortunately Dr. Cobain passed away in 1994 and he left his miracle cure to the teenagers of the world. With lyrics more sound than meaning, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” doesn’t carry a message or a theme like novels. It’s more of a newspaper montage which has fancy images and just catches your attention. Ten years later you still remember how it goes. This September was a special month because Nevermind turned 20 years old.

Essential Band: New Albums: Coldplay Vocalist Chris Martin and guitarist Jonny Buckland first met during their orientation week at University College London (UCL) in September 1996. After that they would plan and create the band which is known today as Coldplay. In 1999, they released their first album, Parachutes featuring one of their best known songs, “Yellow”. Later they released three more albums, featuring memorable songs like “Viva la Vida”, “the Scientist”, “Fix You”, “Violet Hill”, “Clocks” and many other great tracks. On October 24, 2011, they released their fifth album, Mylo Xyloto. The album is a current hit, selling 447,000 units in the first week. This album features great songs like “Paradise” and “Hurts like Heaven.” The music critics reveal that this album has a certain punch towards liberty and happiness. Music department in school: Throughout the school year we have many performances: in September for International Day and at Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving there were outstanding and unique performances by the middle and high school music classes. The seniors and juniors performed a blended track between Coldplay’s “The Scientist,” Black Eyed Peas “Where is the Love?” and Jessie J’s “Price Tag.” The song was arranged by the music teachers, Ms. Loor and Mr. Perez. As well there were tracks like Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain”, performed by the middle school students. There were great performances and the food was inviting. It really became a united dinner to share and give a warm experience among students and parents. Band breakups: Oasis Among the greatest bands in the 1990’s was Oasis, founded by the Gallagher brothers Liam and Noel. They began playing in central England and later moved around the United Kingdom until success promoted their albums globally. In 1994 they released Definitely Maybe, which became one of the fastest selling albums in the UK’s history. Since then, Oasis has created 6 albums up to 2005 featuring great songs such as “Wonderwall”, “I’m Outta Time”, and “Don’t look back in Anger” among many others. Oasis is at its highest level of performance. They guarantee a good show for the public. Their performance in 2009 at London called Electric Proms is one of their best live performances and with a 5:1 home theater; it simply sounds amazing. Late 2009 conflicts among the brothers started to arise even though there was always a tense relationship among them. In 2009 Noel Gallagher stated in his blog, “It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight.” Since then there has not been a word about a band reunion, but new arising fans hope someday they will get together again.

http://www.nevermind20.com/media/store/0602527826073_medium.jpg

BBC’s Radio 1 Top 9 Songs Chart! 1. Sak Noel – “Loca People” 2. Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera – “Moves Like Jagger” 3. The Subways – “We Don’t Need Money To Have A Good Time” 4. Calvin Harris – “Feel So Close” 5. Coldplay – “Paradise” 6. LMFAO ft. Natalia Kills– “Champagne Showers” 7. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” 8. Dappy- “No Regrets” 9. Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris- “We Found Love”

Confession Session What is your favorite song?

Jose Ramirez: Taylor Swift - “You Belong With Me”, T.I. - “Dead And Gone,”

T.I. - “Whatever You Like,” Eminem - “Cleaning Out my Closet,” ACDC - “Back in Black,” Eminem - “Till’ I Collapse,” B.O.B - “Don’t Let me Fall”

Jonathan Delgado: Drake - “Faded”, Mac Miller - “Piffsburgh”

Diego Miletich: David Guetta - “Memories”

Michael Vazquez: Mac Miller - “Donald Trump”

Alejandra Garcia: One Direction - “What Makes You Beautiful”

Francisca del Pino: Ron Pope - “Drop In The Ocean”

Mariana Lopez: Chris Brown - “Forever”

Arezu Mansuri: Dev ft. Enrique Iglesias- “Naked”

Cristina: LMFAO - “Party Rock”

Jennifer Leiva: Mindless Self Indulgence - “Never Wanted to Dance”

Choi: Blink 182 - “I Miss You”, Goo Goo Dolls – “Black Balloon”, Goo Goo Dolls -

“Iris”

Roberto Simon: Maroon 5 - “Won’t Go Home Without You”

Galia: Daughtry - “Crawling Back To You”

Andis Jing: Secondhand Serenade - “Strangers”

Mara Topic: Justin Bieber - “Falala”

Melissa Mansouri: Taylor Swift - “Love Story”

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Calendar By: Frederick Intriago

 

 

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Games

   See you next quarter! Staff: Ms. Liesch (teacher), Ale García, Andjelko Topic (editor), Arezu Mansuri, Cristina Chiang, David Azoulay, Diego Miletich, Fran del Pino, Frederick Intriago, Gaby Jarrin, Jennifer Leiva (photographer), Jonathan Delgado, Jose Ramirez, Mariana Lopez, Michael Vasquez, Nancy Jing (editor)