Schoolwide News

As this school year comes to a close, the PTO would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the incredible parent volunteers who generously dedicated their time, energy, and talents to our Language Conversation Classes in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Created and coordinated by the PTO, this initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to strengthening inclusion, communication, and community engagement at EAB. Through the support of parent volunteers, conversation classes were offered throughout the year, creating welcoming spaces where families could practice language skills, build confidence, and connect with one another and with the school community.

Over the past four years, the PTO Language Conversation Program has continued to grow thanks to the dedication of our volunteers and participating families. This year alone, 50 parents participated in conversation classes, and since the program began, more than 120 parents have taken part in the initiative. During that time, 18 parent volunteers have generously shared their time, languages, and cultures to help make these classes possible.

These numbers reflect more than participation — they represent friendships formed, confidence gained, cultural bridges built, and stronger connections within the EAB community.

We are especially grateful to the parent volunteers who led these classes with such passion, patience, and care. Their commitment has made a lasting impact on our community, and we invite you to learn more about their stories and experiences below.

As some of our volunteer teachers will be leaving EAB next year, the PTO is currently looking for new parent volunteers interested in helping continue this meaningful program. Whether you speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, or another language, we would love to hear from you.

We also warmly invite parents to participate in the conversation classes next year and become part of this enriching experience. Thank you to all the volunteers, participants, and the PTO community for continuing to build bridges across cultures and languages at EAB.

 

Meet our Parent Volunteers

 

Cássia Saretta – Portuguese Conversation Teacher
“I’m Cássia Saretta, Brazilian and mother of Felipe Augusto, who is graduating from EAB this week.
Teaching Portuguese to parents at EAB was an incredibly meaningful experience for me. Teaching a language goes far beyond grammar — it is also about sharing culture, stories, and different ways of seeing the world.
Throughout the classes, I had the opportunity to connect with families from many nationalities, learn from their perspectives, and build bridges between cultures through respect, connection, and mutual learning. I am truly grateful to have been part of this journey with the families at EAB.” 🌹

María Lacaze – Spanish Conversation Teacher
“I’m María Lacaze from Argentina, and I moved to Brasília from Washington, DC four years ago with my family.
Leading the Spanish conversation group became one of the highlights of my years at EAB. Together, we created an intercultural bridge among parents from many different backgrounds while practicing language in a fun and welcoming environment.
I truly hope this group continues after my departure, because initiatives like this bring people together in very meaningful ways.”

Luísa Martins – Portuguese Conversation Teacher
“I’m Luísa Martins, from Alagoas in northeastern Brazil, and mother of Humberto in K4.
Volunteering in the Portuguese classes for beginners has been such a pleasure. I loved sharing our language, culture, and experiences with parents from the EAB community.
Anything you all need, I’m here.”

Vaneide Catunda O’Brien – Portuguese Conversation Teacher
“I’m Vaneide Catunda O’Brien from São Paulo and recently returned to Brazil after living abroad for many years.
Teaching Portuguese conversation classes at EAB has been a joyful experience. Beyond the classroom, we practiced language through real-life experiences in coffee shops, grocery stores, and everyday conversations.
I loved seeing parents dedicate themselves to learning Brazilian Portuguese and connecting more deeply with our culture.” 💝

Alina – Portuguese Conversation Teacher
“I’m Alina, Brazilian, architect, and visual artist. After living abroad for many years, I returned to Brazil last year and joined the EAB parent volunteer community.
Although my Portuguese conversation group was brief due to my professional schedule, I had the opportunity to meet incredible people through this experience.
Art, education, and cultural connection have always been important parts of my life, and I am very grateful to be part of this community.” 💛

Craig Barry – English Conversation Teacher
“Hi, my name is Craig, and I am from Auckland, New Zealand. My son Gabriel studies in 8th grade at EAB.
I met my Brazilian wife, Antônia, in Brisbane, Australia, and moved to Brazil 15 years ago. I love traveling, surfing, golf, yoga, and being my son’s Uber driver. :)
I first volunteered as a PTO English conversation teacher in 2023 and returned again this school year. Coming from a financial background, teaching English was a big change for me, but it has been a truly wonderful experience.
What I enjoy most is meeting people from different countries, cultures, and life experiences. Our conversation classes covered everything from culture, food, travel, and health to even discussions about AI.
We shared many meaningful moments and lots of laughter along the way.”

Clive Ellison – English Conversation Teacher
“Hi there! My name is Clive, and I am originally from Liverpool, UK — hence the funny accent. My daughter Mila is in Grade 7, and my son Logan is in Grade 3.
My wife grew up in São Paulo, but we met in New York City, where our children were born. We have been living in Brasília for nearly three years due to my wife’s role at UNICEF, and we love it here so much that we even bought an apartment in Asa Sul!
I can’t claim to be much of a teacher, but leading our English conversation sessions became a wonderful opportunity to meet parents from many different nationalities, all united by the desire to improve their English and support their children’s experience at EAB.
It was also, without a doubt, the best source of gossip, food, shopping, and travel advice this side of the Cerrado! We laughed and learned a lot — culturally and practically — and I hope everyone left feeling a little more confident speaking English.”

Xaviera – PTO Leadership 
“My name is Xaviera, and I have been volunteering with the PTO since 2021.
Creating and coordinating these language conversation groups has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my time at EAB. Through the PTO, we have been able to create welcoming spaces where parents feel connected, supported, and included.
One of the most beautiful parts of this journey has been seeing parents come together to volunteer, share cultures, build friendships, and strengthen our school community through language and connection.” ☺️

Loyanne – PTO Communication 
“My name is Loyanne, mother of Natália and Rafael, and I have been involved with the PTO for many years through communication and family engagement initiatives. This year, I returned as a PTO volunteer to help strengthen the organization’s structure, communication, and community programs. It has been very meaningful to contribute to initiatives that help bring families together and strengthen connections within our school community.”

 

Parent Voices

 

Fernanda Ribas
“Sou a Fernanda, adoro fazer aula de conversação em inglês com a Ana. Já participo há cerca de três anos.
Sempre há um aprendizado novo sobre culturas, vocabulário e expressões. É um momento feliz que todos passamos juntos. A Ana é maravilhosa, paciente, educada e bem-humorada. Espero que as aulas continuem.”

Marcela Crosara
“My name is Marcela Crosara, and I am the mother of two EAB students in 1st and 3rd grade.
Joining the Spanish conversation group with Prof. María was truly one of the best experiences I had at EAB.
What started as a language group quickly became so much more — a warm, joyful, and welcoming space where we could connect, laugh, learn, and share experiences. Prof. María has a very special way of making everyone feel comfortable and included, and our weekly meetings became a moment of happiness and lightness in my routine — something I genuinely looked forward to every week. I am very grateful for our group and hope this beautiful initiative continues, bringing parents together in such a meaningful and positive way.”

Rachel Grove
 “I am Rachel Grover from the USA. I moved to Brasília from Mexico City two years ago and was delighted to see that EAB offered a Spanish conversation class through the PTO. I joined the class because I wanted to continue learning and practicing Spanish, but the connections I have made with other EAB parents have been even more valuable than the language practice. As we shared ideas (in Spanish!), I came to better understand many different countries and cultures, including Brazil. María has been a wonderful teacher, not only in how she teaches grammar, but also in how she leads discussions in ways that help us learn from one another. The PTO Spanish conversation class has been my favorite activity offered here at EAB!”

Gisleine Lucietto – English Conversation Classes
“Faço aula de conversação de inglês com a Ana há mais de 3 anos.
As aulas são incríveis. Além das expressões em inglês que aprendo, a Ana tem um conhecimento muito amplo sobre o mundo e leva isso para as nossas aulas. A principal característica que desenvolvi com a ajuda da Ana ao longo desse período foi deixar a timidez na hora de falar inglês. A Ana nos incentiva em todas as aulas! Que venham mais anos de inglês com a Ana! ❤️”

Matt Nelson – Portuguese Conversation Classes
“I really enjoyed the Portuguese language class. Our teacher, Cássia, was energetic, communicated clearly, and made the class fun and engaging. I felt that the course helped my Portuguese improve significantly, and I appreciated how organic and conversational she made the classes. I also enjoyed getting to know and speak with other parents who were interested in improving their Portuguese.”