C O L E G I O B O L Í V A R

An Educational Community

Mission

To educate in a bilingual, democratic environment to be autonomous and to demonstrate a spirit of inquiry and collaboration, a commitment to excellence, and the highest aspirations for the welfare of both the individual and society.

 Principles

 The Bolívar Community supports its Mission through commitment to the following principles:

1.      Education is the most valuable tool to improve the quality of life.

2.     Democratic practice is a guiding ideal that fosters dialogue, respect and community.

3.     Intellectual excellence is to be supported by the school setting.

4.     Language is central to learning.

5.     The school has a responsibility to meet the needs and support the talents of individual students.

6.     Social responsibility is the obligation of the educated person.

7.     Community is built by fostering relationships based on care and trust among all of its members.

Goals

I.     To value education, we:

A.    Strive to develop a lifelong love of learning in our students

B.     Focus on the intellectual, ethical and social development of our students.

C.     Live by an honor code based on honesty and integrity.

D.    Devote time and resources to educating children to fulfill their promise and potential.

II.  To implement democratic practice, we:

A.    Develop conditions and processes that foster dialogue.

B.     Create and maintain a learning environment of respect, tolerance, collaboration and discipline.

C.     Appreciate and celebrate the cultural, religious and social diversity within the school community.

D.    Provide structures for participatory decision making.

E.     Give students a freedom of choice consistent with their development, and hold them accountable for the consequences of their choices.

III. To support excellence, we:

A.    Foster a style of learning that is active, self-directed, discovery based and engaging.

B.     Provide experiences in which students can excel by learning the value of work and commitment.

C.     Implement performance standards based on curricula that define essential learning outcomes.

D.    Use effective evaluation methods to help students focus, direct and reflect on their learning.

E.     Acquire the technologies and resources necessary to enrich learning in all areas.

F.     Prepare students for the emerging professions of the future.

G.    Provide a campus and facilities that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

IV. To support the centrality of language, we:

A.     Provide students with an integrated bilingual educational program.

B.     Develop literacy in its fullest sense: verbal, mathematical, scientific, and artistic.

C.      Meet individual students needs in the area of language and literacy.

V.   To respond to individual student needs, we:   

A.     Provide health and counseling programs for students in collaboration with their parents.

B.     Provide enrichment programs and services, and integrate enrichment activities into the classroom environment.

C.      Provide direction, and support special learning needs through a strong, multidisciplinary, student services program.

D.     Promote extracurricular activities to meet student needs and to develop student talents.

VI.       To fulfill social responsibilities, we:

A.     Nurture social awareness and responsibility along with concern and respect  for oneself and others.

B.     Provide opportunities for all students to experience the value of helping others through a strong community service program.

C.      Emphasize environmental issues, and prepare students to deal with the increasing human ability to alter the planet’s environment.

VII. To build the school community, we:

A.     Create community dynamics at the classroom level.

B.     Provide team building strategies for faculty and administrators.

C.      Establish partnerships with parents as essential collaborators and vital members of the school community.

D.     Value all members of the community and encourage solidarity based on democratic practice.

CHARACTERISTICS

Colegio Bolivar was founded in 1947 as a private, coeducational, non confessional and  non profit foundation. Ever since it has provided a bilingual, bicultural and binational type education to the children of north American families and other foreign residents   in Cali, as well as to those Colombian nationals seeking this type of  education for their children. Currently, the School offers to 1.200 students a college preparatory education in English and in Spanish from Preprimary through grade 12, comparable and compatible with the one offered by  the best schools in this category, in Colombia, United States and abroad. Along its history Colegio Bolivar has developed (worked) under the authority and support of its General Bond Holder Assembly, founding companies of the school. This Assembly elects a Board of Director’s of ten members, parents of children enrolled in school, who (look) for the fulfillment of the schools mission and goals.

Colegio Bolivar’s curricular and extracurricular programs come from  Colombian and north American traditions and observe (comply) with the most demanding laws (standards) of both countries. Besides a group of highly qualified local teachers ,  most of them bilingual, the school has with a numerous group of teachers hired abroad. English is the language in which children are educated since first grade; however, Spanish language and Colombian culture are an integral part of the educational program. Colegio Bolivar prepares its students throughout its study programs, so they can (may) continue their education in schools and universities of both countries.