The importance of the School & Family partnership at the end of the school year.
By Carlos Maffia Neto
The importance of Studying and school-parent relationship in supporting students at the end of the school year.
As the school year draws to a close, we enter a period marked by assessments, projects, and high expectations. It is natural for students to feel increased pressure and stress, as this is the time to consolidate everything they have learned throughout the year. Therefore, it is essential to reinforce the importance of studying, not only as a school obligation, but as an opportunity for personal and academic growth.
Organization and discipline are essential for students to manage this period well. Planning study schedules, reviewing content in advance, and maintaining healthy habits, such as sleeping well and eating properly, make all the difference.
In this process, the school/family partnership is indispensable. Emotional support, understanding, and encouragement are factors that help students remain calm and confident. Creating a peaceful environment for studying, avoiding excessive demands, and valuing effort, rather than just results, contribute to a balanced experience during this time.
Together, schools and families can turn this challenge into a positive experience, preparing our students not only to successfully complete the year, but also to develop important life skills.
The science of well-being is the key to the future of our children and young people.
Our leadership team attended Mind Summit 2025. This is an annual event that addresses a particular way of thinking about people, cultures, and results when we implement the science of well-being in our institutions, whatever their nature.
The main agenda focused on mental health and how to develop leaders prepared to cultivate teams capable of uniting purpose, performance, meaning, and belonging.
It is possible to create psychologically safe environments with a strong impact on the culture of well-being, transforming science into results and incorporating cutting-edge methodologies into our daily routine.
We were able to reinforce our beliefs and school culture by listening to the world’s leading experts in the science of well-being, including:
- The PYP (Primary Years Programme), for students aged 3 to 11, presents learning in an investigative way, awakening the pleasure of discovering and understanding the world.
- The MYP (Middle Years Programme), for students aged 11 to 16, broadens the connection between theory and practice, helping students interpret real-life situations and develop creative solutions.
- The DP (Diploma Programme), for students aged 16 to 19, consolidates a rigorous interdisciplinary education recognized by universities in Brazil and in more than 100 countries, expanding possibilities for admission to higher education.
Another fantastic experience about the direction of humanity, bringing evidence reinforced by research that as an educational institution, we have a fundamental impact on the growth of the people around us, and that we can help them reach their highest potential.
Seeing each person’s individual strengths, encouraging the growth of everyone in our community, and reminding them that they can become the best version of themselves is our greatest challenge and our greatest meaning.
What does it mean to be an IB Continuum school?
Being an IB Continuum school means accompanying students on a complete journey of academic and personal development, from early childhood to high school, through three internationally recognized programs. It means offering an education that encourages autonomy, curiosity, critical thinking, and openness to the world, creating a solid foundation for each student to become a global citizen.
The IB Continuum consists of three stages that complement each other throughout the school years:
- The PYP (Primary Years Programme) presents learning in an investigative way, awakening the pleasure of discovering and understanding the world.
- The MYP (Middle Years Programme) broadens the connection between theory and practice, helping students interpret real-life situations and develop creative solutions.
- The DP (Diploma Programme) consolidates a rigorous interdisciplinary education recognized by universities in Brazil and in more than 100 countries, expanding possibilities for admission to higher education.
The Escola Internacional de Alphaville is proud to be an IB Continuum school, offering students a consistent, bilingual academic path aligned with globally required skills. Here, Portuguese is preserved as the mother tongue, and English is integrated in an additive way, preparing students to act with confidence in different contexts.
For families seeking an education that opens doors in Brazil and abroad, the IB Continuum is a choice that combines purpose, academic excellence, and a vision for the future.
Exponential High School
Exponential High School was created to offer our students an academic experience that goes beyond the classroom. With an innovative, bilingual curriculum aligned with current high school demands, we prepare our students for Brazil’s main college entrance exams, the ENEM, and real opportunities to enter international universities.
The difference comes from the personalization of the trajectory. Each student defines their focus of study according to their academic goals, whether deepening their path to national entrance exams or preparing for the IB Diploma. This flexibility allows them to develop autonomy, critical thinking, and essential skills for truly exponential growth.
At Exponential High School, learning connects to the future, respects each student’s pace, and broadens horizons with purpose and clarity.
Choose your path. Reach your future!
Gamified Financial Education Comes to Middle School in 2026
In 2026, the Escola Internacional de Alphaville will offer middle school students an innovative gamified financial education experience in partnership with Real Grana. The proposal combines theory and practice in an engaging way, developing essential skills in young people such as financial organization, conscious consumption, and smart decision-making, preparing them for the future with autonomy, responsibility, and purpose.
With a dynamic and up-to-date methodology, Real Grana provides students with the opportunity to learn early on how to manage their own money, make good financial decisions, and invest consciously. The platform offers a fully interactive and immersive environment, transforming learning into a fun and meaningful journey. Among the tools available are interactive and dynamic content, gamified trails, and complementary games, such as Grana Game: an investment simulator that helps students put what they learn into practice in a playful and engaging way.
A meeting that reinforces our culture of well-being and positive learning
In October, the Escola Internacional de Alphaville welcomed renowned psychologist Miriam Rodrigues, a national reference in Positive Emotional Education and researcher in the Science of Well-being applied to education. Her presence brought fundamental reflections on the relationships that sustain the school environment, involving teachers, staff, students, and also the families who walk with us.
Throughout the day, Miriam participated in meetings with parents and the entire academic team, promoting dialogues on positive parenting, understanding the specific needs of each stage of childhood and adolescence, and the importance of interventions aligned with each child’s temperament and personality. These were moments of genuine exchange, deep learning, and strong connection between school and family.
The psychologist also met with our Center for Ethical Coexistence, Science of Well-Being, and Self-Realization, learning firsthand how this culture underpins practices and decisions in all areas of the school. The author, renowned for her works and research, highlighted the preparedness of our teams and the strength of our institutional culture, built on acceptance, intentionality, and scientific commitment.
We are very proud to see the Alphaville International School recognized as an institution that authentically integrates the principles of positive education and well-being into everyday school life. We continue to strengthen this journey alongside families, with purpose, listening, and cooperation.
Our Grateful Hearts – A special moment of gratitude with the children
Creating the habit of being grateful is something that can be developed over time. When we train ourselves to recognize the positive things in our daily lives, we strengthen our sensitivity and broaden our perception of the world. Inspired by this idea, we invited our students to reflect on people, moments, and attitudes that are good for the heart.
The “Our Grateful Hearts” project brought together everything that children feel grateful for. They remembered friends who helped them, teachers who cared for them, families who welcomed them, tasty snacks, and shared toys. Each story reinforced how small gestures can have a profound impact on our lives.
During this activity, we also encouraged acts of kindness, expressions of affection, and actions that value caring for others. Being thankful for what we receive every day is a powerful way to build more positive bonds and strengthen empathy.
We count on families to continue this conversation at home, encouraging children to observe the small acts of kindness in everyday life and to recognize the good they receive and offer.
When we cultivate gratitude from an early age, we help our children grow up to be more conscious, happy, and affectionate. It is a simple movement, but one that transforms relationships and illuminates paths.
Thanksgiving
In the last few weeks, our students have experienced special moments dedicated to exploring the meaning of gratitude. The children shared charming reflections on what they value in their daily lives, from the affection of family and friends to the fun of playing, learning, and appreciating their little routines.
During this period, we read stories that inspired deep conversations, carried out artistic activities that expressed different ways of giving thanks, and built spaces for dialogue that strengthened bonds and positive feelings. Each drawing, each word, and each gesture brought to light the importance of recognizing and celebrating the good things in our lives.
The question that guided our meetings was simple but powerful: “What are you most grateful for?” From there, we promoted moments of connection, listening, and appreciation of feelings, reinforcing among our students one of the essential pillars for social-emotional development: cultivating gratitude.
These were meaningful experiences that remind us how special it is to grow up in an environment where well-being, empathy, and awareness of small gestures are part of our learning routine.
Exhibition Day: The World Through Our Eyes
Exhibition Day celebrated the voice, perspective, and leadership of our students throughout the IB Continuum. On this special day, students from all levels of education shared how they perceive, interpret, and experience the world around them, revealing different perspectives on personal, local, and global issues. The productions came to life in various formats, such as stories, research, artwork, presentations, data exhibitions, inventions, and action projects.
The proposal is anchored in essential concepts that strengthen investigative and creative thinking: perspective, voice, interpretation, reflection, and representation. These elements directly dialogue with what we value at IB, developing communicative, reflective, and open-minded students, in addition to promoting fundamental ATL skills, such as communication, research, and creative thinking.
Each segment of the school contributes its own interpretations, aligned with its stage of development.
The children in Early Years (Kids) explored the theme My World Today, sharing how they see, feel, and experience the world around them.
PYP students (Juniors) investigated their community, understanding the places, people, and issues around them.
In MYP Lower (Teens 6 to 8), they reflected on different perspectives and how different people experience the same situation.
In MYP Upper (Teens 9 and High School 1), students connected local actions to global issues such as climate change, human rights, and technology.
In DP (High School 2 and 3), they investigated how culture, knowledge, and personal experiences influence the way we interpret the world.
Exhibition Day reaffirms the purpose of the IB Continuum at Escola Internacional de Alphaville: to educate young people who think critically, communicate clearly, and understand the multiple perspectives that construct reality. It is a celebration of identity, expression, and meaningful learning at all stages of school life.
Núcleo de Estudos Olímpicos
NEO is our space dedicated to academic development through challenges that stimulate scientific thinking, research, resilience, and student leadership. Students who participate in NEO have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge, explore new areas, and prepare for competitions that broaden horizons and awaken talents.
To learn more about NEO and check out all the information, click on “Learn more.”
Newsletter developed by Escola Internacional de Alphaville – November 2025 Edition.