Tegucigalpa, Honduras Report of what it's like to live there - 09/07/14
Personal Experiences from Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
09/07/14
School Name:
School Name: American School
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent.
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
7th through 9th grades.
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2010-2014.
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
U.S. Government.
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
Close and used by most of the Mission.
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?
I believe so.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
Ok but lots of rich children who arrive with their own drivers. Also 9th grade parties get crashed by older kids who bring alcohol. Local parents do nothing about this; some parents or their drivers provide the booze. The school head will not address this or caution/inform parents about this problem.
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:
Not really, rich locals get cut more slack.
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
OK.
4. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
AP/IB. Not much for the LD.
5. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
A good amount.
6. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
More or less.
7. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
The usual.
8. Administration-parent communication:
9. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
Yes.
10. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes.
11. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
No.
12. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes.
13. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
Yes.
14. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
See above about older boys going to parties with alcohol.
Academics & Resources:
1. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
Good.
2. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
Very good.
3. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
Good.
4. 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?
Yes!
5. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Yes.
6. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
A few.
7. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
No, which is strange.
8. 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?
They have a few.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
It depends.
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.
My son felt excluded but my daughter did not.
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
It has money for a good infrastructure.
2. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Possibly not. I didn't like my child hanging around with rich kids and then expecting the same kind of expensive things and trips.
