21 - Colegio NUEVA GRANADA

Colegio NUEVA GRANADA December 2012
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Our CNG Founders began this school with a
belief that diversity makes us stronger. In fact,
our school actually blazed the trail in providing
education for both girls and boys in the SAME
classroom (yes, we were the first mixed-gender
school in Bogota), and our Founders also
believed in bringing together students of different
religions, nationalities, and races. These
principles are still evident today at CNG where
we have students from over 30 countries representing
more than 20 different religions
learning together. And each year we welcome
more than 200 new students to our school to
add to our diversity. We are so pleased today
to welcome someone who represents this
strength of diversity which is so important
at CNG. He is a new parent and a member of
an important part of our CNG community, I
am very pleased to introduce the Ambassador
of Israel to Colombia, the Honorable Mr. Joed
Magen. (See photo)
CNG would not be here today without the support of the government
of this great country of Colombia. For more than 50 years, CNG
has graduated students with both the U.S. Diploma and Colombian
Bachillerato Degree. Without question, our school has been profoundly
influenced by the vision of the Colombian Ministry of Education,
especially in the importance of including social service and the building
of character as a vital part of education in schools. Representing
the very important influence at CNG of Colombian educational philosophy
and culture, I am honored to introduce the Director of Quality
for Preschool, Primary, and Secondary Education in the Ministry of
Education, Mrs. Heublyn Castro Valderrama.
At CNG, we believe in community and we believe in family. Ten years
ago, we expanded our family to include the students and community
of our sister school, Hogar Nueva Granada. The Hogar students have
probably taught us far more than we have taught them. They have
taught us to value education and how it can change lives, to make the
most of our opportunities, and to maximize the doors that open when
we make education our path to a better future. We share this special
day of celebration with our Hogar family, who also wanted to share in
return a few words with us. Please join me in thanking Perla Douer,
Cristian Ladino, and Sebastian Gomez for coming to share some
thoughts on behalf of our Hogar family. (See photos)
Finally, we would like to extend a special thanks and recognition to
the family members of Doris Samper, F.T. Dever, and Irwin Byington
who have joined us today on the 75th anniversary of the founding of
CNG. Family members, we want you to know that CNG will never forget
Doris, F.T., or Irwin – their vision, their courage, and their belief in
the power of education to change lives. I would like to invite our Board
President, Mr. Bernardo Cardenas, to join me in the unveiling of a special
Founders’ Plaque that will be placed after this ceremony on the
Primary School Building, the first building built on this campus. This
plaque will forever be a part of our CNG history to honor our Founders
. . . for without them, we would not be here today.
Now for the final part of this special assembly. I can only imagine that
you have been wondering, “What’s in the big present?” Are you ready to
find out? Well, it’s a big present, so we need some help moving it to the
front of the stage. At CNG, we believe in the power of Honored Tradition
and Visionary Future. We have talked quite a bit about our honored tradition
up to now, but we should also talk about our visionary future. As
I mentioned at our opening ceremony four weeks ago, I believe that you,
all of you students, are the visionary future for CNG and for the world.
You are the leaders who will help change the world and make it better
through strength of character and knowing right from wrong. As we
conclude this ceremony in celebrating the 75th birthday of CNG, I would
like to ask the help of the youngest members of our visionary future, the
K4 and K5 students, to help us open CNG’s birthday gift, and while they
are helping me, we will be hearing a special CNG Anniversary Song
sung by our 75th Anniversary Choir.
(The K4 and K5 students helped move a large present to the front of
the stage. A member from each of our three Founder Families joined
the Director and Board President to unveil the special gift – a huge
birthday cake for CNG!)
On this 75th Anniversary of CNG, we remember our three founders
who truly believed in the saying that “education is not the filling of a
glass but the lighting of a fire”. May the CNG flame burn brightly for
another 75 years and beyond! Happy Birthday CNG!
ALL
SCHOOL
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