MAGAZINE
40 EDUCATORS PARTICIPATE IN A HARVARD ONLINE COURSE
EXPERIENCING SCHOOL AT ITS FULLEST!
1202 * REBMETPES 6#
SPOTLIGHT
08 13 14 15 17 20 23 26 28
For a sustainable coexistence
KINDNESS GENERATES KINDNESS How an action that starts small impacts thousands of people along the way.
OBA MEDALISTS Concept learners stand out with 44 medals at the Brazilian Astronomy and Astronautics Olympiad (OBA)
AWARD-WINNING ESSAY Micro tale by Catharina De Faccio is awarded in competition
PD BY HARVARD UNIVERSITY 40 Escola Concept educators took a course to develop strategies for Online Teaching and Learning
TESTIMONIAL What have I achieved besides a Harvard stamp??
CONTENTS
4 6
EDITORIAL
PEDAGOGICAL DOCUMENTATION Attentive eyes for childhood
SCIENCE FAIRS Good reasons to participate in a competition between schools
THE INNOVATION DIPLOMA The result of a partnership between Escola Concept and Design Tech High School
WHAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS TO SAY... Watch videos with testimonials from families, educators and learners
LATEST EDITIONS Link to read our previous Spotlight Magazine editions
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
FOR A SUSTAINABLE COEXISTENCE By Maria Elisa Bonafim Grade 3 educator, Escola Concept São Paulo
04 | spotlight - september 2021
Since August, we have re-experienced the school routine full-time, which broadened the learning opportunities, which have been very significant and productive. The first month of this return was mainly dedicated to re-adapting, as we had to reconnect with the spaces, the people who are part of this environment, with our learning space, educators and colleagues. We’ve left a long period of social isolation, imposed by the pandemic, and begun to experience the collective, a significant part of the school environment. In addition to a lot of joy, this transition also brought some challenges, such as thinking and acting collectively, sharing, listening to different opinions, developing co-responsibility for the organization and reappropriation of procedures and agreements. Throughout this process, interpersonal conflicts are expected, within the school and at home, as we have been observing. Our role as a school is to offer opportunities for reflection, enhancing learning with each solution. Bonding and partnership with families are essential in this process. Another important factor in this readaptation is knowing how to use time and routine to our advantage. There is a time for everything: waking up, resting, playing. Now it's time to resettle! All of this is directly related to our code of honor, summarized in three sentences: Respect yourself. Respect for others. Respect for the environment. We are approaching the week when we will celebrate Peace and Sustainability. Undoubtedly, an opportune moment to reflect on our coexistence in our school community, and to understand the impact of small attitudes in a larger context. These are two themes presented in this issue of SPOTLIGHT magazine. Let's continue confidently on our learning journey, always embracing the "WE BEFORE ME" mindset.
Together we are stronger!
spotlight - september 2021 | 05
IMPACT
KINDNESS GENERATES
KINDNESS
Follow along how an action that starts small impacts thousands of people along the way.
The idea came from England...
In May 2020, the art educator at Escola Concept Ribeirão Preto read an article about acts of kindness during the pandemic in an English newspaper and decided to organize a similar action with some groups.
During isolation, in Ribeirão Preto...
Kinder, Grade 2, and 3 learners wrote and designed letters to be delivered to essential workers in the city. e.
06 | spotlight - september 2021
Back to campus 100%...
The good idea from Ribeirão Preto was taken as an optional proposal for reflection in the return to school in São Paulo and Salvador, in August 2021, when we were able to return with 100% of the students on campus at the same time. The project was named Covid Heroes.
Pedro Tinoco decided to pay tribute to a bus driver...
Several groups and learners engaged in the proposal, including Carina Mongone's grade 2B class, where Pedro Tinoco wrote a letter to a bus driver. .
Dani gave Pedro's letter to the driver...
Escola Concept's in house designer, Daniela Taira, forwarded Pedro's letter to the driver of the bus that she usually takes home.
A letter ended up in SP Trans marketing...
Thrilled, the driver took the letter to SPTrans' communications and marketing department, so that more drivers could receive the message. He also forward it by WhatsApp to other bus drivers. .
SP Trans offered to bring their team and a bus to the Escola Concept São Paulo campus, during the Week of Peace and Sustainability, in order to explain the concept of mobility in cities. Classes from Grade 2 to 5 will participate in the experience.
ACHIEVEMENTS
,ABO
OUR LEARNERS ARE MEDALISTS! Concept learners stand out with 44 medals at the Brazilian Astronomy and Astronautics Olympiad (OBA) Analídia Ferri, Marketing coordinator at Escola Concept Ribeirão Preto
From the space races to the Moon to recent space travel by pilotless civilians, humanity has followed with fascination - and live - every step of the conquest of the universe. As it would be no different, the theme has made possible very inspiring projects here at Escola Concept, one of the reasons why our learners gave their best to the Brazilian Astronomy and Astronautics Olympiad, the OBA. For the first time, we are celebrating the participation of students from the three Concept schools in the test, starting from Grade 3 up to Grade 10 and, as a result, we had 44 medal-winning students.
08 | spotlight - september 2021
ACHIEVEMENTS "Not only the OBA, but any Olympiad exists with the goal of engaging children to study, with the idea that a scientific competition can be a thermometer that motivates them to stand out", explains Science educator Simone Peixoto, from Concept Ribeirão. "Through these initiatives, students understand how important it is to learn by making connections with the world and these achievements are a way to remain even more engaged", she says, who was one of those responsible for preparing students for the test.
At Concept, Lower and Middle School Learners can prepare for the OBA and other Olympics in two ways: by connecting astronomy and astronautics directly to projects or organizing special learning moments. Educators used tests and simulations made available by the OBA organization, which has even innovated in the 2021 edition, disclosing digital materials and applications that helped students prepare for the tests. In addition to mastering the concepts of astronomy and astronautics, the student's focus on this exam is text interpretation.
spotlight - september 2021 | 09
RESULT “This year, we managed to bring together students and educators from the three schools for OBA preparatory classes. At these moments, we observed that the students themselves brought up doubts, such as the influence of the moon on the tides, and were able to spontaneously share the main topics covered”, says Simone. Also according to the educator, although they are held at the national level, performance in the Olympics can be well regarded by universities abroad. “These institutions keep an eye on student performance. In 2020, Antonio Daneze (Grade 9), from Ribeirão Preto, advanced to an OBA qualifying stage, as he had a high grade and received a gold medal. If he had advanced even further, he could have been part of the Brazilian teams that represent the country in the International Astronomy Olympiad”, she details. In fact, we already have the following schedule on the calendar: 2nd phase of the National Science Olympiad (ONC), in early September 2nd phase of the Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad in Public and Private Schools (OBMEP), in November, Brazilian Olympiad of Logical Reasoning (OBRL), whose first phase was in September 9th and 10th and the second phase will be in October.
10 | spotlight - september 2021
The motivation for the Olympics also comes from the students themselves who challenge each other and celebrate their achievements together. The example also inspires and encourages educators to seek more opportunities and participation in other events, fairs and student meetings.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Check out the medal winners: from OBA:
Concept São Paulo: 19 medalists Gold: Fernando Carvalho de Araújo (G9) Silver: Eduardo Grings (G5), Breno Motta Fernandes (G6), Bruno Sousa (G7), Bruno Sodré Boralli (G9), Giovanna Haddad Ciao (G8), João Paulo Barrera (G7), Maria Eduarda Ribeiro Dias (G9), Mariana Lombardi (G7), Thomas Flemming (G6). Bronze: Gabriel Gonçalves (G5), Manuela Yagui (G5), Cícero Stabili (G5), Felipe Dória Machado (G8), Letícia Choaib (G6), Manuela Clemente (G9), Melissa Takenaka Medeiros (G9), Sophie Camargo Iaria (G7), Sumaya Saab (G8).
Concept Ribeirão: 18 medalists Gold: Enrico Fiorotto e Lorenzo Furtado (G3), Daniel Martins Matos e Guilherme Brandão (G6), Arthur Marques Han (G8), João Vitor Pinheiro Leiria (G9). Silver: Mariana Moreira e Nicolas Braghetto (G4), Lorenzo Matthes, Heitor Weber, Francisco Martins Matos, Pedro Bocalon (G6), Pedro José Balbão e Victor Marques Han (G9). Bronze: Antonio Bueno Pereira, Sophia de Vasconcelos Mendes e Tomás Hermes da Fonseca (G5), Artur Carraro de Souza (G7).
Concept Salvador: 7 medalists Gold: Carlos Eduardo Braga (G8) e Giovana Lacerda (G8). Silver: Heitor Rebouças (G5), Laura Barreto (G8) e Paula Maracajá (G8). Bronze: Luisa Rodrigues (G8) e Nicole Ortiz (G9).
spotlight - september 2021 | 11
12 | spotlight - september 2021
AWARD-WINNING
With this one-sentence story, that can be translated to "By putting on the mask, she showed her true self", grade 9 learner Catharina Faccio was selected among the 30 finalists in the “MicroConto de Ouro” contest, promoted by Casa Brasileira de Livros. We congratulate Catharina and her classmate Bruno Boralli, who stood out among more than 1250 entries in the competition
Ao colocar a máscara, mostrou quem era. CATHARINA FACCIO, GRADE 9 LEARNER, ESCOLA CONCEPT SP
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BY HARVARD UNIVERSITY 40 ESCOLA CONCEPT EDUCATORS TOOK THE COURSE: DEVELOPING STRATEGIES FOR ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING
In the face of the covid-19 pandemic, online and blended learning has become a common fact in educational life. Aimed at supporting its team of educators to gain useful strategies and pedagogical approaches to create meaningful online learning experiences, Escola Concept selected 40 team members from the 3 campi to take a Harvard University Online Course called "Developing Strategies for Online Teaching and Learning".
It is a four-week online actionoriented workshop that combines research and theory with practical strategies, culminating in the design and development of an online learning project. Six of the educators selected received a "Course Developer Certificate" to facilitate strategies with the whole team, among which is Yhan Vallone. Let's learn from Yhan what were his main takeaways from the Harvard Course? 14 | spotlight - september 2021
TESTIMONIAL
WHAT HAVE I ACHIEVED BESIDES A HARVARD STAMP? BY YHAN MANFREDI VALLONE, ED-TECH EDUCATOR In addition to a well-recognized Harvard certificate, the course's learning journey experiences challenged me to understand, question, and extend online and blended learning plans and teaching experiences. I think the course combined research and theory with practical strategies, culminating in the design and development of an online learning project, with a strong emphasis on the community of practice that emerged in myself and other participating educators. I was able to connect, reflect and actively engage with other participants through conversations, project feedback, and brainstorms. Throughout the course, I also learned useful strategies and pedagogical approaches to create more meaningful learning experiences for my students. I also had the opportunity to reflect on the relationship between teaching and technology, create, imagine and innovate teaching strategies, and develop positive, engaging and purposeful experiences for my lower school students! Ultimately, these learning opportunities connected me with a community of educators around the world, with whom I was able to share personal experiences, hear feedback about them and also give feedback and tips to other educators! spotlight - september 2021 | 15
PEDAGOGICAL DOCUMENTATION
Attentive eyes for
childhood
A Photography Studio with André Carrieri brought a new perspective to how to register learning moments
Analídia Ferri, coordinator of Marketing at Escola Concept Ribeirão Preto
“ARE YOU LOOKING AT WHAT YOUR EYES ARE USED TO SEEING OR ARE YOU REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT CHILDHOOD IS TRYING TO SHOW YOU?”
Exercising the look at children and at learning practices was the challenge proposed to 24 Concept educators in our three schools, between May and June 2021. Through a studio taught by photographer André Carrieri, our team won (still more) inspiration and intention to observe childhood poetics. Taking an external look at the observation of the children's daily lives allowed the team of educators participating in this journey to further improve the pedagogical documentation at Concept, which is composed of all imagery, writing and listening records of children with the educators in their daily practices.
spotlight - september 2021 | 17
In this opportunity, they tested the power of photography as an investigative tool. More than that, they tested photography to enhance their own curiosity. The result of this rich experience of professional development was a virtual exhibition with 250 images entitled "Photo Workshop: The Place of Curiosity in Documentation". "The experience with André was an exercise in looking. He made us practice other ways of observation of everyday life with the children. We focused on daily life at school, we were inspired by other artists and photographers who see the world from a different perspective. ”, says Livia Leiria, educator at Concept Ribeirão Preto who participated in this training.
The beauty of childhood During the process, the educators sharpened their eyes to intentionally create clippings, observing what children are able to offer in their gestures, discoveries, and interactions with everything the educator provides, from the way they organize the spaces, to how they set up the materials.
18 | spotlight - september 2021
“The time to look at children and the time to see the beauty of childhood is often the opposite of what we are living. To document this curiosity and this child's look at the world and at life, we have to look in the same direction as they do. This journey with André made me rediscover the child's gaze and made me even more eager to document what I see”, explains Lívia.
According to André Carrieri, the educators "dismantled the common sense that invades the universe of images today to make a photograph with quality and sensitivity. They left the selfico, facebookian mode, to create several photographable situations in moments of discovery with children. Finally, they built beautiful stories…”.
Virtual Exhibition CLICK HERE and take a tour of the Virtual exhibition with all the photographs taken on this journey!
“We need to be the child's eyes, listening and thinking, together with him. The pedagogical documentation brings this richness, making it visible to those who are not in the extraordinary daily life, showing what it really represents. The school is alive and the pedagogical documentation makes this life visible to those who are not with us”, concludes Lívia. spotlight - september 2021 | 19
OT SNOSAER
PARTICIPATE IN A COMPETITION BETWEEN SCHOOLS
Involvement in science fairs and competitions creates situations that are relevant to the development of our learners, from preparation to the announcement of the results.
By Larissa Vidal, marketing analyst at Escola Concept Salvador
Involvement in science fairs and competitions creates situations that are relevant to the development of our learners, from preparation to the announcement of the results. Encouraging student participation in science fairs and olympics is part of the learning journey developed at Escola Concept. We understand that these events bring a real and practical situation for the application of projects and content seen at school, besides helping each learner’s individual knowledge building process. When registering a project to compete for a prize, contest, or science fair, the learner must follow some steps to the letter, from adequacy to the theme to planning and construction of the presentation. "It is a process that awakens curiosity, stimulates creativity, critical thinking, and helps awaken collaboration, talents, passions, and vocations," says Jordan Mendes, EdTech Coordinator at Escola Concept Salvador. "The learner takes risks and challenges and, by overcoming them, gains confidence and develops persistence Check the latest competitions and achievements of our learners! 20 | spotlight - september 2021
Olimpíada Brasileira de Matemática das Escolas Públicas e Privadas (OBMEP) What is it? The biggest mathematics Olympiad in the world, with more than 18 million participants. Who participated? 70 students from Grade 6 to 9 from the three schools participated in the Olympiad. Results: we have 8 learners approved for the second phase, which will take place in November.
Who is approved to 2nd phase? Escola Concept Salvador: Aloysio Nery Dário Falcão Camila Raso Davi Sales Escola Concept São Paulo Gabriel Marcassa Thomás Campos Gabriela Belleza Nicolas Caldeira Escola Concept Ribeirão Preto Alice Marques Han Lara Sayuri Miyaki Batistella Manuela Macedo Lerner Thales Moreira Bis João Vitor Pinheiro Leiria Rafael Dias Ricetti
2ª Feira Brasileira de Jovens Cientistas 2021 What is it? A national science and preuniversity fair, totally virtual, promoted and supported by institutions that promote science and technology. Who participated? 3 students from Concept Salvador, organized in a group, by incentive of their educators. category.
Results: the project "Call 188", developed by students Bruna Dias, Júlia Pinto and Fernando França, from Grade 10 (High school), under the guidance and co-supervision of educators Dan Loureiro and Jordan Mendes, won the Outstanding Innovation Award in the Health
spotlight - september 2021 | 21
Math Kangaroo 2021 What is it? An online test with over 6 million participants every year, in over 80 countries. Who participated? This year learners from Grade 3 (Lower School) to Grade 10 (High School) of Concept Ribeirão Preto and Salvador participated.
Results: 15 students were awarded Honors for Merit. They are: Bernardo Castello Branco S. do Nascimento e Sophia de Vasconcelos Mendes (Grade 5 - Concept Ribeirão Preto); Francisco Constantino Bandeca, Guilherme Fragoso Brandão, Júlia Frantz Rosada e Manuela Macedo Lerner (Grade 6 - Concept Ribeirão Preto); Lucas Pinto Santana (Grade 6 - Concept Salvador); Dário André Pacheco Falcão e Bernardo Miranda De Oliveira (Grade 8 Concept Salvador); Eduarda Campi Romanini, Nícolas Silva Cordeiro e Olivia Abreu Martins (Grade 8 - Concept Ribeirão Preto) e Victor Augusto Marques Han (Grade 9 - Concept Ribeirão Preto); Aloysio Veiga Rodeiro Nery (Grade 9 - Concept Salvador); Clara Zanelli Faiçal (High School - Concept Salvador).
Olimpíada Brasileira de Astronomia e Astronáutica - OBA What is it? a science fair whose main goal is to spread astronomical knowledge throughout Brazilian society, fostering young people's interest in Astronomy and Astronautics and related sciences. Who participated? learners from Grade 3 and on from the three Escolas Concept. 22 | spotlight - september 2021
Results: we won 43 medals in total: 9 gold, 19 silver, and 15 bronze. See the names of the students in the OBA article (page 13).
INNOVATION
THE INNOVATION DIPLOMA KICKS OFF! By Enzo Brena, Educational Technology Coordinator August was a very exciting month for our community for a great number of reasons. Not only could we celebrate having 100% of students 100% of the time back on campus for the first time in a year and a half, but also it was the month in which we could put into practice a new partnership we have been working on for more than a year. August 2021 marks the date on which we have launched our Innovation Diploma classes for our learners from Grades 9 and 10 in all of our campi. The Innovation Diploma course is the result of a partnership between Escola Concept and Design Tech High School aimed at offering our pre-high and high school students the opportunity to develop their Innovation, Collaboration, Creativity and Design skills.
The Innovation Diploma was born in Silicon Valley, California and it is the creation of our peers at d.tech High School, an innovationfocused High School founded and led by Stanford Design School Alumni and located inside the Oracle Campus in California. With their years of experience in design, design thinking, innovation, entrepreneurship and education, our peers at d.tech have developed a comprehensive, four-year, innovation and design-centered program focused on giving students the opportunity to implement a real-world solution, resulting from a four-year project.
GIVING STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPLEMENT A REAL-WORLD SOLUTION
We, at Concept, have been working closely with d.tech leadership and educators for over a year, considering the best strategies and ways to offer this amazing learning experience to our community. This dedicated work resulted in the introduction of the Innovation Diploma program for all our pre-high and high school students.
Starting this past month, our grades 9 and 10 learners and design educators could dive into a design-centered teaching and learning experience all about innovation and creation. The first module will focus on exploring and developing the Foundations Course of our Innovation Diploma program, which is focused on establishing a clear base of Design Thinking, Human Centered Design, Entrepreneurship and Ethics skills and platform so our learners can build upon for the next three years of their Innovation Diploma program. 24 | spotlight - september 2021
OK, BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN THE LONG TERM? In the long run, this means we can offer our learners another amazing opportunity to complete their learning of these concepts as mature, ethical, global, impactful and creative problem-solvers. The Innovation Diploma was introduced as an opportunity to prepare our learners for a fast and everchanging world, in which the current issues and demands evolve dynamically and constantly, posing a real challenge for people all around the globe.
We believe that providing learners with the learning and skill developing opportunities to become fast adapters, cultural and ethically aware thinkers and problem-solvers will ultimately result in happier, more autonomous, and effective leaders in their communities. Although these are only the first steps of this Innovation Diploma experience in our community, the future surely looks very bright and exciting for our learners and families. We can’t wait to see what amazing creations our learners will venture into when given the opportunity of producing and implementing their own authentic solutions for real issues in their communities!
spotlight - september 2021 | 25
The Concept School was born 5 years ago, already thinking of being a school of innovation, which values questions and does not deliver ready-made answers. This is the only way to stimulate problem-solving in an unstable and rapidly changing world scenario. But how is the Concept way of learning in practice? As usual, we won't give you the answers. Today we will present to you the perspective of Tatiana Botton, mother of a Kindergarten learner.
26 | spotlight - september 2021
"I learned by memorizing, I couldn't make mistakes and the cool thing was to get the teacher's question right. At Escola Concept it's not like that. Students are encouraged to take risks, to try. Everything seems more playful, but the play has a deep connection with learning. In my opinion, it's genuine and real learning, because they're paying attention, they're involved, they're enjoying it. It’s very rewarding for the parents to see that there’s an involvement that results in learning”.
Tatiana Bottom
mother of a Kindergarten learner
Watch this and other testimonials from families, educators and students on the website escolaconcept.com.br/visitas/sp
spotlight - september 2021 | 27
WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ OUR LATEST PUBLICATIONS ON ISSUU?
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUR SPOTLIGHT MAGAZINE COLLECTION
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA