Bogota, Colombia Report of what it's like to live there - 09/18/10

Personal Experiences from Bogota, Colombia

Bogota, Colombia 09/18/10

Background Information:

1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?

parent

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2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?

Transition

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3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?

2008-2010 (current)

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4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?

Work for an international NGO

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Admissions & Welcome:

1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?

A: Apparently there were problems with this in the past, but the board has worked hard to eliminate the problems.

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2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?

A: Very good.

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Administration & School Procedures:

1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:

Very satisfactory. Small classes, extremely motivated and committed teaching staff and management.

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2. For the following attributes, down to the next blank box, grade your experience at the school on a scale of A (excellent) to F (unacceptable/terrible) and provide comments:<br><br>Overall fair and equitable treatment of all students and families:

A: There are more local kids than ex-pats. This is the case with all private schools here. This is not an 'international' school per se. There are none here. This is a Colombian private school with a British curriculum and system, a British rector and many British teachers. A percentage of ex-pat kids and a majority of Colombian kids.

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3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?

A: Really good - online communication as well.

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4. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:

A: The school has a very high level of academics that would easily serve a gifted child. My child has Down Syndrome. The board made a special policy to admit kids with developmental disabilities as a pilot. There is also another child with DS here. The support has been stunning - exceptional, wonderful.

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5. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:

A: Anything you can think of.

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6. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:

A: Yes.

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7. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):

A: Lots of homework, but good quality.

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8. Administration-parent communication:

A: Has been very good in my experience.

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9. Teacher-student communication:

A: Very good.

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10. Academics, answer the following questions "yes" or "no" with an explanation if appropriate:<br><br>Are there any classes or subjects where students are not appropriately challenged?

No, none I have experienced.

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11. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:

My child has a classroom assistant who helps her in her classes. She goes to an off-site facility (Anthiros) for therapy.

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12. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:

There is no other school that really provides this, so I am thrilled with the level we have.Colegio Nuevo Granada (CNG) supposedly does, but I have heard it is chaotic. And in reality, if you have a special needs child and are not a diplomat or a Colombian with 'palancas' there is NO CHANCE your child will get into CNG. Supposedly they admit kids with special needs. They wouldn't even give us an interview!

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13. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:

Not applicable.

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14. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?

Yes.

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15. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:

I don't know of any.

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16. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?

Yes, lots of them.

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17. What activities do you feel are missing?

I can't think of any.

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18. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:

Yes, swimming.

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19. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?

Yes.

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20. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:

I don't know of any. The school works hard to address all issues as they arise.

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Academics & Resources:

1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?

A: Very good.

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2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?

A: Very good one.

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3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?

A: Very good one.

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4. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?

A: Very good - see above.

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5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?

A. Around 18 kids per class.

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6. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?

A. Yes.

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7. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?

Yes, in my experience.

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8. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?

A: Very good selection of just about any art, music, drama, sports you can think of - both through the normal curriculum and as extra-curricular activities.

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9. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?

Yes, most. I think the Spanish teachers do not. Not sure about the PE, music, etc teachers. This is not an issue for my child, who speaks Spanish.

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10. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.

My child does not, and I don't know about this.

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11. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?

Yes, lots of them.

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Social & Emotional Well-Being:

1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?

Yes.

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2. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.

Those I know are very happy at this school. No bullying or exclusion.

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Overall Impressions:

1. What is the greatest strength of this school?

Gosh, everything. The quality and commitment of the teachers and administration, the grounds, the location, the activities, the academics.

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2. Greatest challenge?

Can't think of any.

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3. Would you choose this school again? Why?

In a heartbeat.

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