21 - Colegio NUEVA GRANADA

Colegio NUEVA GRANADA December 2012
aA father once told his child, “Be careful
what path you follow.” To this his child
replied, “Father, you should be careful for I
follow in your footsteps.”
Building tomorrow’s leaders has always
been a clear mission in CNG’s philosophy.
CNG teachers, parents, alumni, and administrators
clearly know we are the ones empowered
to make an impact in Colombian
society. But how can we awaken our young
children’s desire to help? Through the actions
of the adults that surround them.
And last year, we did just that. In May 2012
a group of 20 parents and teachers from K4
donated both money and time to build two
houses through Un Techo Para mi Pais.
The results surpassed both the teachers’
and parents’ expectations. Adults and children
were once again reminded how blessed
we are to have a sturdy floor under our
feet and a warm roof over our heads. We
were reminded that it’s the simple things
in life that make a difference and not how
many things we possess. In helping to provide
a family with a safe haven, we were
able to give them the ability to dream of a
tomorrow instead of thinking how to survive
today.
It was surprising to discover that we, the volunteers,
received as much as the new home
owners did. We replenished our souls, while
at the same time modeling for our children
character
developing
primary
in the
school
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and reminding ourselves that making a
small difference can make a big impact in
society. We were once again reminded how
powerful and positive an impact we can
have when we decide to get up and actually
DO something.
This message was clearly received by our
children. After being introduced to this
project through videos and interactive
talks, children could hardly wait to see their
parents in action. They were so engaged
and they participated by sending the new
home owners the pictures they had created.
The activity came full circle when the
20 parents came to school, showed the
photo video of their two days’ work, and
talked to their children about the activity.
When children saw their artwork hanging
on the walls of the homes their parents
had helped build, their eyes began to glow;
they were filled with pride. The children’s
curiosity was awakened and their desire to
someday do as their parents had done was
evident.
Leading by example is such a powerful tool
that parents from other classes wanted to
join in. We are excited to say our program
has been expanded to include all K4 and
K5 classes. What a dynamic way to develop
our children’s character in becoming tomorrow’s
leaders - leaders with a passion,
a conscience, and a good heart.
Tatiana Grimberg
Primary School Teacher
by: Carissa Becker
Primary School Teacher
75th year celebration:
Insights
newbie
from a
cComing to CNG has been an exciting experience for me. New
country, new school, new culture to learn about, and I haven’t
been disappointed. This is by far the largest school I have been in
and I was curious if it would have the same “home” feeling as my
last place.
The first few weeks of school were daunting and I admit, I got lost
a few times. Luckily, CNG is the type of campus where people are
quick to offer help and show you where everything is. By the time
the first all-school assembly rolled around a few weeks into the
school year, I was already feeling good in my new home at CNG.
Despite still being very new to the school, I almost shed a few tears
at the adorableness of the 12th graders and Kinder 4 entering the
gymnasium together. I remember thinking, “Nothing can top that
assembly”… and then there was Founders Day.
The school planned a huge day of festivities to kick off their 75th anniversary
celebration and I was looking forward to seeing what was
in store.
We received our schedules for the day and then came the feeling
of apprehension. I was nervous about how my class would react to
the celebration in the gym and the picnic. How would I keep track
of all of them and make sure to keep them safe?
I went into the day not knowing what to expect but hoping for
the best with everything. It turns out there was no need to worry.
You could feel the excitement from the kids as they had their faces
painted by High School students with CNG logos and pictures. I
even stood in awe the moment I got to the top of the High School
stairs and saw the gigantic elephant made from balloons that
stood above the entrance to the gymnasium.
We were seated with the high school students and I loved how
they treated the younger kids. To my 2nd grade students the high
schoolers are rock stars whom they look up to, so it was so refreshing
to see them sitting next to each other enjoying the festivities.
One thing I must absolutely applaud about CNG is their respect
with the national anthems. Students and staff take pride in singing
the Colombian anthem and yet take the time to learn and recite
the United States anthem as well. This is the first school I have
been at where it was done so well. CNG’s school song is also performed
with enthusiastic participation. You can hear and see the
school spirit as the students sing and jump as the first notes of the
song are played. I had not been warned about the jumping part
the first time and as my students sat down at one point during
the song my first thought was “Wow, they sat down so great”, and
then when they jumped up during the song my second thought
was, “I am in trouble”…mine was the jumping class. But as I looked
around I realized that everyone was singing and jumping and that
was just another part of what makes this school so great, the ability
to enjoy the song and what it stands for.
After the speeches for the assembly we celebrated with the presentation
of the 75th anniversary cake as confetti floated down
from the ceiling, and the younger students jumped and cheered
with excitement.
Later we were dismissed to the playground where parents joined
us for a school-wide community picnic. The apprehension came
back as I wasn’t sure what to do as my students wanted to go this
way and that to find their families. I let those feelings go though
as I realized that the students were safe, that they were at CNG
with their families and that they are great kids. And with that I let
all apprehension go, and enjoyed a wonderful Founders Day with
good food and good company.
PRIMARY
SCHOOL
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