HIGH SCHOOL PROFILE 2023/2024
Director: Dr. Joseph Nagy
High School Principal: Timothy Shirk
High School Dean: Dr. Richard Martin
College Placement Counselor: Andrea Peisker
SCHOOL MISSION: “Colegio Bolivar is a bilingual community of creative learners which inspires its members to live our school values as catalysts of change who incorporate multiple perspectives and commit to the highest aspirations for the welfare of the individual, society, and Earth.”
SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY
Colegio Bolivar, founded in 1947, is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory school governed by an appointed board of trustees. Classes are taught in a bilingual (North American Englishbased) environment.
The school is divided into pre-primary (Kindergarten 4, Kindergarten 5, grade 1), primary (grades 2-5), middle (grades 6-8), and high school (grades 9-12), with a total of 1,324 students. There
University Attendance 2019-2023
are currently 380 students enrolled in High School. Colegio Bolivar is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools/ COGNIA and the Colombian Ministry of Education. Seniors graduate with both the US High School Diploma and the Colombian Bachillerato. The school is located on a 35-acre campus in Pance, a residential suburb of Cali.
Advanced Placement (AP) Results
HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY AND STUDENT BODY
There are 56 High School staff members, 44 of which are teaching faculty. All faculty members hold university degrees and 30 hold advanced degrees. The average number of years teaching experience is 19. There are 4 counselors, 1 psychometrist, 2 academic coaches, and 6 P.E. coaches on the High School campus. Breaking down the nationalities of the High School staff, there are 10 individuals
from the United States, 44 from Colombia, 1 from Canada, and 1 from the United Kingdom. The student/teacher ratio is currently 8:1. Members of the student body are from upper socioeconomic levels and are all bilingual. Their breakdown by nationality is as follows: 82% Colombian, 1% North American, 1% South American and 16% dual-citizen.
apeisker@colegiobolivar.edu.co CEEB Code: 925680
Accredited by: the Colombian Ministry of Education & Cognia, a global nonprofit working in over 80 countries, serving 36,000 institutions, 25 million students, and five million educators every day.
Associated with: Cognia - The Tri-Association - International ACAC - ACCAS
GRADING SYSTEM/RANK/GPA/BLOCK SCHEDULING
The Colombian Ministry of Education has mandated an evaluation system which reports student achievement measured against the objectives of a course. A Colegio Bolivar student’s overall achievement in a course is an average of the objectives reported on a 4.0 scale, a 2.0 being the minimum passing grade. Students are ranked at the end of six and eight semesters based on their cumulative GPA of all their subjects, except PE 9 and 10 and
online courses. New students, 10-12, and students who missed 9, 10, or 11 are not ranked. GPA and Rank are based on year end grades. All courses are designed to prepare students for rigorous academic work at the university level. All high school courses meet for 70 minutes, five times every eight school days, for 40 weeks. All AP class grades are enhanced 0.2 points (except online courses).
ADVANCED PLACEMENT
Colegio Bolivar offers 12 Advanced Placement (AP) classes, as well as online options:
• Biology
• Calculus AB
• Chemistry
• English Language
• Physics I & II
• World History
• Art/Design 2D & 3D
• Statistics
COMMUNITY SERVICE
The school is dedicated to fomenting an attitude of service to the community. As outlined in the School Mission the students are encouraged “to commit to the highest aspirations for the welfare of the individual, society, and Earth”. The last part of this statement implies that the students are serving their community for their mutual benefit. It is the school’s philosophy that not only the individuals being served are benefiting by the community service, but also the ones doing the serving. The Ministry of Colombian Education mandates that all High School students must complete at least 80 hours of community service; however, as Colegio Bolivar begins the community service program in Kindergarten 4, most students contribute far more than the required hours. Therefore, in addition to the obligatory social service, many students also
• Computer Science Principles
• Computer Science A
• English Literature
actively participate in voluntary service activities. Voluntary service opportunities at Colegio Bolivar:
• Grade-level activities: carry out several activities a year with an institution to provide educational, economic, or social benefit and to foster mutual understanding
• Permanent Student Committees: plan short-term projects and organize relief efforts in times of disaster or tragedy
• Student/Faculty Voluntary Contributions: help fund permanent housing and childcare for the operational, maintenance, and transportation staff at the school
Some of the community service organizations with which Colegio Bolivar students participate are Divina Providencia, Madre Dios, Cottolengo Chiquitines and Escuela La Trinidad.
EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
There are a considerable number of extracurricular opportunities available to Colegio Bolivar students. They are encouraged to participate in activities including, but not limited to, athletics, the arts, academics, social service, and politics. This ties back to the school mission in that the students’ involvement in extracurricular activities helps them develop, and eventually become “catalysts of change”. Among these projects and activities are Model U.N.,
• Business/Finance
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Online Peer Tutoring
Student Ambassador, math competitions, National Honor Society, Poetry Festival, TRIBUNA Magazine, yearbook staff, varsity sports, Global Issues Network, Music/Arts Festival of Armenia, Voluntary Social Service, Student Council, School Musical and Community Service Committees. High school sports include varsity soccer, volleyball, swimming, basketball, and softball/baseball.
EXAMPLES OF STUDENT-LED CLUBS
• Book • Environmental
• Cinema
• STEM
• Philosophy
• Chess
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
Juniors with a cumulative GPA of 3.7 are eligible to become members of the National Honor Society. Students who have attained this grade point average must also demonstrate exemplary scholarship, character, citizenship, service, and leadership in order
• Gender Sexuality Alliance
• Don Simon Coffee
• Animal Protection/Cruelty-Free
to be invited to become members. NJHS runs from Middle school through 9th grade. Grade point averages from 9th and 10th grades are used to establish qualification for NHS in 11th grade.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS AND CURRICULUM FOR THE 2023-2024 SENIOR CLASS
In addition to the above required credits all seniors must have participated in a job shadowing activity referred to as Career
Week, as well as completed a Senior Project which includes an oral presentation and research paper.
HIGH SCHOOL CORE OPTIONS/ELECTIVES
High School Core
• Biology • English • P.E. • Information and Communications Technology • Social Studies • Philosophy/Ethics • Integrated Math II & III • Spanish • History/Economics • Chemistry I • Colombian/Latin American Studies II & III • Physics I • Precalculus • Calculus.
High School Electives
• Pre-AP Biology, Precalculus & Spanish • Honors Chemistry, English, Integrated Math II & III • AP Biology, Chemistry, Physics I & II, English Language, English Literature, Modern World History, Calculus, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, Studio Art/Design 2D & 3D, and Statistics • Agricultural Science • Environmental Science • Astronomy • Voice • Chemistry II & III • Journalism • Global Issues Network • Integrated Math Workshop • Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced Band • Sports • Soccer • Fitness • Graphic Design I & II • Art • Digital Art/Design • Musical Theatre • Study Skills • Model United Nations • K12 Online Courses.
High School students are enrolled in a Double Curriculum Program which awards them both the US High School Diploma as well as the Colombian Bachillerato upon graduation. Therefore, students have a highly rigorous academic schedule which means limited opportunities for taking electives (1-2 electives per year depending on the grade level).