RussReynolds - 4-9-2010 at 01:16 PM
Hola,
We moved to San Jose a few weeks ago and are having trouble finding a school for our daughter.
We are looking for a private school - either international or bilingual. Can anyone make any recommendations?
Thanks in advance,
Russ
bajajudy - 4-9-2010 at 01:40 PM
MacGregor
Sallysouth - 4-9-2010 at 06:34 PM
Hi Russ, My daughter lives in El Tule and her girls go to a private school there.She has tried a few and seems to be really happy with the school they
are going to now.How old is your daughter and is she bi-lingual?My G-Daughters learned spanish in the schools and are excellent interpreters!(3 and 5
yrs)!I will find the name and U2U.
RussReynolds - 4-10-2010 at 05:25 AM
Thank you guys!
Sally - my daughter is 7 and not bilingual. She is a super fast learner and I expect she will pick it up fairly easily.
Sounds like your granddaughters are awfully smart too.
Thanks for your help,
Russ
AASelf - 4-10-2010 at 09:58 AM
This article was written for Destino magazine in 2006 when I was the editor. Don't know how much is still current:
Private School Options in Los Cabos
By Kirstin Frieze
Aside from the languages we speak and the general differences in culture, such as social habits, celebrations, and tastes in food, citizens from
Mexico and the U.S. have a myriad of other differences, including approaches to education. While the majority of U.S. citizens, regardless of their
economic status, seek free and appropriate education in the public school systems, in Mexico it is far more common, for those who can afford it, to
enroll in private schools. A major advantage to public education in the U.S. is that all states require background checks and that teachers undergo
training via accredited programs and universities after earning their specific degrees, before a credential can be granted. In Mexico, however,
schools are often so overcrowded that private schools are still a better option in that students get more personalized attention. For local Mexicans
and foreigners of middle to upper class socioeconomic status, private schools are the only way to go. Here are just a few examples of private schools
in Los Cabos that each have something a bit different from their competition.
With approximately twenty years under its belt, Colegio El Camino was the first private school to open in Cabo San Lucas. Located just minutes from
the main drag, with a fantastic ocean and downtown view, El Camino was certainly a pioneer in education here. The school serves students from
preschool through high school and offers even the youngest kids a competitive level of English. Beginning in pre-school, students have an
hour-and-a-half of English each day, with those in primary receiving an additional half hour in a class called Reading Plus. Junior high and high
school students receive five hours a week of English with two hours of Reading Plus daily for junior high kids and two hours a week of science in
English for high school students. Three of the English teachers at El Camino are native speakers of the language, while the rest have learned by
living abroad and have received certification in teaching English.
In addition to the SEP (Mexico`s Secretary of Public Education) designated classes, students at El Camino are given music, art appreciation, magazine
production workshop, and oral expression classes. Extracurricular activities such as Karate, Tae-Kwan-Do, basketball, for boys and girls, soccer, and
football are offered at an additional cost.
In an effort to remain on the cutting edge of technology in education, Colegio El Camino utilizes the Interactive Education Model, which offers
classrooms with electronic chalkboards, high speed Internet connections, educational programs, and a virtual library, known as Encyclomedia, as well
as the Interactive Evaluation System. This system provides each student with a remote control that allows him/her to submit answers or participate in
class activities in a modern way, simultaneously enabling teachers to evaluate student participation and progress.
As testimony to the school`s academic excellence, three students from El Camino ranked in the top ten of Baja California Sur`s ENLACE standardized
exam. Alejandra Navarro, Aldo Santos, and Constanza Ramìrez were invited to Residencia Oficial de Los Pinos (the equivalent to the White House) by
Mexican President Felipe Calderòn in February. Additionally, the students were acknowledged by B.C.S. Governor Narciso Agùndez for their academic
achievement. 143-2100 www.colegioelcamino.com
Known as an international school, Colegio Amaranto prides itself on providing a multicultural education to students beginning at the pre-school level
through 6th grade. The youngest students here receive English classes where poems, songs, and games make it fun to learn another language. In primary
grades, bilingual education is the focus, where the daily three hour English classes are based on Hartcourt lesson plans designed for native English
speakers in the U.S, but at the same time provide support activities for second language learners. As testimony to their commitment to promoting
multicultural awareness and appreciation, Colegio Amaranto offers qualified students in 4th-6th grades the opportunity to participate in a yearly
weeklong exchange program, in partnership with a school in Charlotte, North Carolina, where students live with a host family and see the similarities
and differences between the cultures first-hand. In addition to the high quality language program, computer technology is incorporated into the
curriculum of even the youngest students at Amaranto, supplying them with the latest programs which are adapted to suit the developmental stage of
each child. Students are encouraged to explore the world around them too, and in order to facilitate this, once a week each group in the primary
school has class in the science laboratory, complete with microscopes and other instruments to stimulate interest and satisfy curiosity. Recognizing
the need to form well-rounded students, Amaranto has several classes that cater to the more creative side, including Body Expression, Art, and Human
Development, which promotes the use of logic and problem solving skills. Colegio Amaranto is located on the highway, just in front of the Punta
Ballena development. 145-8700
One of the newest additions to the private school scene is Instituto Peninsular, located just in front of Amaranto on the Transpeninsular Highway
between Cabo and San Jose. Having opened its doors in August of 2004, this sleek new facade is a combination junior high and high school and is
associated with one of Mexico`s top universities, Tecnològico de Monterrey. Instituto Peninsular focuses on three primary areas of academia: English,
Computer Science, and Human Development.
In grades 7-11 students are divided into two different groups for English and receive four-and-a-half hours of class each week. Group A is a
literature class that places emphasis on vocabulary building skills and utilizes multicultural literature textbooks aligned with U.S. standards and
frameworks. Here students read plays such as The Miracle Worker, Brian´s Song, and The Diary of Anne Frank. Group B focuses on vocabulary skills and
grammar improvement using up-to-date workbooks. High school seniors receive three hours of English in a TOEFL (Testing of English as a Foreign
Language) preparation class. Recognizing the importance of technology and computers in our society, I.P. high school students take computer courses
each semester, totaling ten different classes. Examples of these include Systems, Databases, Programming, and Graphics. A goal for I.P. in the near
future is to become a testing center for Microsoft, offering certificates of competence in Office. Combining the technology aspect with that of the
human side, a total of six courses related to human development are also part of the I.P. curriculum. These classes range from Quality of Life to
Creativity to Leadership and Professional Orientation and are adopted specifically from Tec de Monterrey`s high school program.
Instituto Peninsular has a staff that includes many full-time teachers, who enable decisions to be made quickly and efficiently regarding students`
academic and social well being. Additionally, there is a Counseling Department comprised of two full-time psychologists to assist and guide students
and to keep parents informed of problems and progress throughout the year. Additional conveniences at I.P. include access to school facilities such as
the library and computer lab on Saturdays and wireless Internet access throughout the campus. Beginning in August the students will have the
opportunity to partake in a number of extracurricular activities, which are included in the monthly tuition, such as chess, soccer, and art classes.
I.P. is proud to point out that a significant percentage of its generated income is redistributed as part of a generous scholarship program for
students who meet the requirements. 104-3454
Located just outside of San Jose is Centro Escolar Picacho, the only bilingual school which encompasses pre-school through 12th grade. Picacho was
founded in 1991 as the first bilingual kindergarten and has continued its mission to provide a dual immersion bilingual education to students from a
variety of cultures.
Using Houghton Mifflin textbooks and resources designed for use in English classrooms in the U.S., students in preschool through sixth grade divide
their day between Spanish and English, with 50% of the day spent learning in both languages. An advantage to the teaching approach at Picacho is that
native Spanish speakers receive additional help and support in their native language as they progress in English. This is a contrast to previous ESL
(English as a Second Language) techniques which sought “English only” information input. Another way in which Picacho maximizes student learning is by
alternating the class schedule. Once a month Spanish and English classes are switched, making sure that students who learn best first thing in the
morning can excel equally in both subjects. In addition to the traditional language arts, classes like math, science, and social studies are also
taught in both languages as the Spanish and English teacher share an equal responsibility in the classroom.
Junior high and high school students at Centro Escolar Picacho take English as a language arts course, but similar to the primary students, they have
many other options in English as well. Biology, Social Studies, Environmental Science, Geography, History of Our Times, and Computer Science are all
classes given in English. In the literature based English classes, which are taught at grade level as compared to the U.S. and Canada, students read
classic novels such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Julius Caesar, 1984, and The Pearl. 144-5595
No matter what kind of school students and parents are looking for, chances are one of the many private schools in Los Cabos will have something
attractive. Visiting the schools and talking with teachers, current students, and other community members is always recommended. For foreigners it is
critical to keep in mind that we are in Mexico and the recognized language is Spanish, so schools may require a minimum level of proficiency upon
entry. Lastly, remember that private schools are not cheap, especially in Los Cabos, where monthly tuitions for preschool students begin at a few
thousand pesos and continue increasing for high school kids, who pay as much as $8,000 pesos, which does not include books, uniforms, or materials.