- Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro
-
Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro 
Main entrance of the school, also called "Portão D" (Gate D) Address Rua Floriano Peixoto Santos, 55
Sudeste Region
São Paulo, São Paulo state, 05658-080, BrazilInformation Founded September 22, 1878 Opened January 7, 1879 Founder Karl Messenberg, Bernhard Staudigel, Victor Nothmann, Ludwig Bamberg and Emil Preiss Superintendent Thomas Polisaitis President Alfried K. Plöger Dean Sonia Maria Bittencourt de Oliveira Principal Maria Celina da S. Cattini Age 4-5 to 17-18 Age range 3-18 Enrollment 4.280 Average class size ca. 81m² Language Portuguese, German, English, Spanish Hours in school day 12 hours Classrooms ca. 90 Campus size 100.591 m² Campus type Urban School Colour(s) White and navy blue Slogan "Um só colégio em 6 unidades" (A 6-unity School) Song Hino ao Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro (Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro’s Anthem) Athletics Soccer, volleyball, basketball, handball, ping-pong, badminton, swimming, artistic gymnastics, athletics. Nickname Porto (Seguro) Yearbook Anuário Website portoseguro.org.br Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro (often referred to as "Porto Seguro" or "CVPS", formerly named "Deutsche Schule" (German School)) is a private bilingual school located in the neighborhood of Morumbi, in São Paulo, Brazil. The school was founded in 1878 by German immigrants, who wished a school in which their children could learn about German culture, without losing the connection with Brazil. It was elected by Veja magazine as the best school of São Paulo.[1][2] Nowadays, the school has several other related units.
Contents
History
The school was founded on September 22, 1878, as "Deutsche Schule", located in a rented building at Florêncio de Abreu Street, in downtown São Paulo. D. Pedro II visited the school in 1886.[3] In 1913, the school moved to its own building at the Olinda Street, now Roosevelt Square. As the deman for school enrollment grew, two new units were built, one in Consolação, and the other in Barra Funda. In 1943, due to the Second World War, it changed its name to "Ginásio Brasileiro Alemão" (German-Brazilian Elementary School), and later to Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro, after Francisco de Vahrnhagen, German-Brazilian historian.
In 1974, the school moved to its current location, in Morumbi, with its main entrance in Clementinne Brenne Street. Famous German musician Karl Richter was hired to direct the Colégio Porto Seguro Choir (Coral do Colégio Porto Seguro).[4] Later on, in 1982, Karl Carstens, president of West Germany, became another notable visitor.[4]
In 1982, the Valinhos unit was founded. Valinhos was, at the time, a major conglomerate of German immigrants, who come to the companies of the region. In 1997, the Panamby unity was founded in order to answer to the high demand for room at the Morumbi unity. The inauguration of the unity had the Vice Chancellor of Germany Joschka Fischer as a guest.[5]
In 2003, when the institution celebrated its 125th anniversary, more than 46,000 people attended the celebration event that took place at the Estádio do Morumbi, located near the school.[6] During the celebration, Brazilian singer Fafá de Belém sang the School's anthem.[6]
In 2002, the first "Portinho" was founded, in front of the Panamby unity. In 2007, the second "Portinho", built inside Morumbi unity, was founded. This portinho was built where once has been one of the parking lots of the school. Nowadays, there's only one underground parking lot, with two floors.
Academics
Subjects
From 1st to 4th grade, students have Portuguese, mathematics, sciences (mostly basic notions of biology and anatomy), history/geography, German (up to 2006, German was taught only from 3rd grade on), music, visual arts and physical education classes. On the 5th grade, history and geography are taught separately, music is no longer taught, English classes are introduced and plastic arts now teaches basic notions of geometry. On the 8th grade, Spanish classes are introduced. At high school, all subjects determined by the Brazilian Ministry of Education are taught: Portuguese, English, history, geography, mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. German and Spanish are kept until 2nd grade, and plastic arts/geometry is taught up to 1st grade. Also, at 3rd grade, Portuguese is divided into Portuguese (grammar and literature) and Composition (because many universities require a composition for admission at their vestibulares), and the "Atualidades", a subject in which main events taking place during the time the class is given are discussed, was introduced in 2008.
Curricula
There are two curricula (or Zugs, in German): A (Brazilian curriculum) and B (German curriculum). Sometimes the C curriculum (see below) is also considered.
A curriculum (currículo A; A-Zug)
The Brazilian curriculum follows the same system explained above.
B curriculum (currículo B; B-Zug)
B curriculum has a more German-oriented system. Therefore, most of its students are German Brazilian. Apart from the normal classes the A curriculum have, they have also study History, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Arts, Music, English, Spanish (facultative), French (facultative and paid), PE (for the 1st to 4th grade plus abitur) and German classes taught in German (Geschichte, Mathematik, Physic, Chemie, Biologie, Kunst, Musik, Englisch, Spanisch, Fräzosisch, Sport and Deutsch respectively). Classes are often smaller (containing around 20 students, in opposition to the normal 35 students of A curriculum classes), and students take the classes in the morning, along with the remaining morning students. B alumni also have the opportunity for taking the Abitur exams in the school.
C curriculum (currículo C; C-Zug)
The C curriculum offers free classes for students from the Paraisópolis favela, located near the school. Those classes are taken in the afternoon, together with the afternoon students. All books, notebooks, clothes and food are provided free.[7]
Other unities
Apart from the Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro Unidade I, which is the first and main unity, there are also other unities, such as:
- Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro Unidade II, in Valinhos
- Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro Unidade III, at Panamby, a borough of São Paulo (this unity doesn't have the B curriculum).
There are also the "Portinhos" (literally Little Portos), which work much like a day care.
- Portinho Panamby
- Portinho Morumbi, located inside the Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro Unidade I
- Portinho Valinhos, located inside the Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro Unidade II
All unities together have about 10.500 students and 550 teachers.[8]
Notable alumni
- Robert Scheidt – Sailor [9]
- Queen Silvia of Sweden [10]
- Thaissa Presti - Track and field sprint athlete [11]
- Rodrigo Hübner Mendes - Young Global Leader [11]
References
- ^ Kostman, Ariel (2001). "Elas chegaram na frente" (in Portuguese). Veja São Paulo. http://veja.abril.uol.com.br/idade/educacao/031001/ranking_sp.html. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
- ^ Kostman, Ariel (2001). "Porto Seguro, o primeiro da classe" (in Portuguese). Veja São Paulo. http://veja.abril.uol.com.br/vejasp/031001/campea.html. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
- ^ Timeline of the school - 1889
- ^ a b "Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro" (in Portuguese). Porto Seguro official website. http://www.portoseguro.org.br/linhadotempo10.asp. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- ^ Timeline of the school - 1993
- ^ a b "Festa do Porto Seguro reúne 46 mil pessoas" (in Portuguese). Folha de Valinhos/Click Notícia. 2003-09-27. http://www.clicknoticia.com.br/clipp.asp?clip=659. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- ^ Escola da comunidade
- ^ Colégio
- ^ Robert Scheidt at the Porto Seguro ex-alumni official page
- ^ Queen Silvia visits the school
- ^ a b "Ex-alunos Destaques" (in Portuguese). Portal of ex-students. http://www.exalunos.portoseguro.org.br/Destaques.aspx. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
External links
- Official website (Portuguese)
- Site for ex-students (Portuguese)
- Projeto 125 Anos - Website dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the school (Portuguese)
Coordinates: 23°36′22.35″S 46°43′14.37″W / 23.6062083°S 46.7206583°W
Categories:- Educational institutions established in 1878
- Schools in São Paulo (city)
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