Colegio Los Nogales

Colegio Los Nogales is a private school located in Bogotá, Colombia. It was founded on June 14, 1982.

School Profile

Principal: Luisa Pizano "Lulu"

Vice Principal: Camilo "Opepa" Camargo

Pre-School Director: Beatriz de Durán

Primary School Director: Catalina Rodríguez

Middle School Director: Ian Crossland

High School Director: María Mercedes Casas "Mariamechas"

Founded in 1982, Colegio Los Nogales, a bilingual Colombian private, Catholic, non-profit, coeducational, day school provides students, pre- kindergarten through twelfth grade, with the fundamental skills, values, and processes essential for lifelong learning. Its primary goal is to help prepare students to become Colombia's future leaders.

Student body

Currently there are 873 students enrolled in the school: 365 in secondary, 290 in elementary and 218 in primary. The school celebrated the graduation of its first senior class in June 1992; Los Nogales proudly graduated its fourteenth class in June 2005. Students are mostly Colombians who come from families that value a rigorous bilingual education for their children.

Reputation

And it has been first place in the results of the ICFES^{[citation needed]} which can be compared to the SAT in the USA.

Curriculum

The elementary and middle school curriculum is taught in English and Spanish. English, Math, Science, and some Social Studies courses are taught in English, while other Social Studies and Spanish courses are taught in Spanish.

The high school curriculum meets rigorous requirements: four years each of mathematics, English, Spanish, social studies, physical education, religion, art; three years of French; two semesters of physics, biology and chemistry. Electives are offered where students specialize in one or more areas, and choose from music (orchestra, marching band, and choir) drama, dance, and fine art (photography, sculpture, and oil painting). Most math and science classes are taught in English, while some social studies, Latin American and Spanish literature classes are taught in Spanish. As of this year, the school offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses in calculus, physics and English literature and composition. All graduates attend institutions of higher learning, either in Colombia or abroad.

Faculty and Class Size

All 117 faculty members hold university degrees in education and/or their field of specialty. The teaching staff is mainly Colombian. This year the school has more than 22 native English-speaking teachers, the majority of whom the school has recruited from North American universities. The average class size is 22. The faculty/student ratio is 1:9.

Community Service Program

Each junior and senior student participates in the school’s community service program and must spend 50 hours per semester coordinating extra-curricular activities. Likewise, the school advises the overall administration of five low-income public schools in Bogotá.

Accreditation

The school was recently accepted as a member of the NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) and of the CIS (Council of International Schools).

Grading

Colegio Los Nogales uses an unweighted marking system. Grading is rigorous. Letter grades are required for all courses: an AH (90-99) indicates excellent achievement, an H (80-89) indicates above average achievement, an S (70-79) indicates satisfactory achievement, an A (60-69) indicates a passing grade, while an I (59 and less) indicates insufficient understanding or performance, and need for remediation.

House system

All students and faculties are assigned to one of three houses or clans. Each of the names of the houses have an essential meaning in Greek. Eudikia=Honesty Politeia=Responsibility Filia=Respect Students do many things in the houses once a year, like a competition, which lasts all day. The success of the teams depend on the points which one scores.

Sports

Colegio Los Nogales has excellent sports facilities, which include basketball and volleyball courts, a hockey rink, and six playing fields. The school is a member of UNCOLI - International School Association in Bogotá, and competes in several sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball, track and field, and chess.

External links

• Colegio Los Nogales Home page
• CIS Home page
• NEASC Home page

The school this year celebrates its 27 year since the foundation.