Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School Escuela Especializada Bilingüe Alcides Figueroa
Location
Calle María Monagas Carreras , Añasco , 00610 Puerto Rico
Coordinates	18°16′56″N 67°08′17″W / 18.282304°N 67.137946°W / 18.282304; -67.137946
Information
Former name	Escuela Especializada Regional Bilingüe Sergio Ramírez de Arrellano-Hostos
Type	Bilingual, magnet secondary school
Motto	La Bilingüe lo hace mejor (English: "The Bilingual does it better")
Established	August 1999; 25 years ago (1999-08)
Status	Currently operational
School district	Puerto Rico Department of Education
NCES District ID	7200030
School number	40519 (Puerto Rico Department of Education Number) (formerly 40832)
School code	1602 (Use is limited to the PAA college-entry exams in Puerto Rico) (formerly 1061)
CEEB code	540010 (formerly 545008)
NCES School ID	720003000781
Principal	Edna S. Rosa Ayala
Faculty	23
Grades	6 – 12
Gender	Coeducational
Enrollment	348 (2019–2020)
• Grade 6	47
• Grade 7	55
• Grade 8	70
• Grade 9	47
• Grade 10	43
• Grade 11	37
• Grade 12	41
Average class size	25 students
Student to teacher ratio	15.13 : 1
Education system	K–12 System
Language	English and Spanish
Schedule type	Traditional Scheduling
Schedule	7:30 a.m – 2:30 p.m.
Hours in school day	Seven hours
Campus size	45.48 km2 (11.24 acres)
Campus type	Urban
Mascot	Wolf
Nickname	La Bilingüe Alcides
Rivals	CROEM Luis Muñoz Marín High School (Añasco)
Accreditation	Puerto Rico Education Council
Feeder schools	Antonio Gonzalez Suarez Regional Bilingual Elementary School
Feeder to	University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
Website	Official page: https://www.facebook.com/bilingue.ramirezhostos

The Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School is a special kind of school located in Añasco, Puerto Rico. It's a bilingual school, meaning most classes are taught in both English and Spanish. It's also a magnet school, which means it focuses on a specific area of learning and attracts students from different places.

This school is managed by the Puerto Rico Department of Education. Almost all classes, except for language courses like French, Italian, and Spanish, are taught in English. About 348 students attend Alcides Figueroa. It was the first public bilingual high school in Puerto Rico. Together with Antonio González Suárez Bilingual School (for younger students), it forms the only full K-12 bilingual school system in a Puerto Rico municipality. The school often scores very high on important tests given by the College Board in Puerto Rico.

School History

The school started in 1999. It was first called the Sergio Ramírez de Arellano-Hostos Regional Bilingual Secondary School. It was located in old buildings in Añasco. These buildings were named after Sergio Ramírez de Arellano and Eugenio María de Hostos, who were important figures in education.

The original buildings were very old and had been elementary schools for a long time. They were even recognized for their special architecture in 2000. In 2017, these historic buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Student Changes and Challenges

Around 2013, many students started leaving the school. This was partly because it was hard for them to get to school, as many came from other towns like Mayagüez and Aguada. The school also had problems with its buildings, like leaks, broken roofs, and mold.

To help with this, the school started a special admissions process. They allowed more students to enroll. Students just needed to show their grades and pass an interview in English and Spanish.

Moving to a New Campus

In the 2016–17 school year, the school moved to a new building. This new location allowed them to add the sixth grade and have more students. Because schools are named after their buildings, the school's name changed to Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School. The new building is named after Alcides Figueroa Oliva, a former mayor of Añasco.

The old school buildings are now used for municipal sports and art programs. One program, Ciudad Museo ("Museum City"), uses urban art to improve communities.

In 2017, students from Alcides visited the Puerto Rico Capitol. They were recognized by important senators. In 2018, one of the teachers from Alcides was chosen for a special education program.

Uniform Changes

During the 2018–2019 school year, students voted on new school uniforms. The old uniforms were yellow polos with black pants for middle school and white polos with red pants for high school. The new uniforms are navy blue polos with grey pants for middle school and red polos with grey pants for high school.

Facing Natural Disasters

Alcides Figueroa School has faced several challenges from natural disasters.

Hurricane María

After Hurricane María in 2017, the school had water damage, mold, and broken power lines. It reopened in November 2017. Students later wrote poems about their experiences during and after the hurricane. These poems were shared with students at a school in Massachusetts.

Earthquakes

In late 2019 and early 2020, a series of earthquakes hit Puerto Rico. This caused Alcides to close for a while. Even though an engineer said the school was safe, classes were paused. Students from the Massachusetts school even held a concert to raise money for Puerto Rico after the earthquakes. Alcides reopened in February 2020.

COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers at Alcides learned about digital teaching. One chemistry teacher helped create online learning materials. The school held college admissions exams in person in December 2020. In-person classes finally restarted in May 2021.

School Community

Accreditation and Special Status

The Specialized Schools Unit's logo, which is part of the Department of Education.

The school gets its official approval, called accreditation, from the Puerto Rico Education Council every six years. Alcides is part of the Puerto Rico Department of Education's Specialized Schools Unit. This unit manages special schools like magnet schools.

How to Get In

Because Alcides is a special school, students must apply and pass a test to get in. Students from all over Puerto Rico can apply for grades 6 through 12.

The admissions process usually involves:

• Attending open houses in December and January.
• Submitting an application package in January and February. This includes your grades and an application to take the PIENSE test.
• Taking the PIENSE test, which is given by the College Board. PIENSE I is for grades 6-8, and PIENSE II is for grades 9-12. Both tests check your English, Spanish, and math skills.
• Having an individual interview with the school's Spanish and English teachers.

After these steps, a committee reviews everything. They make a list of approved students based on their test and interview scores. Getting a high score doesn't always guarantee a spot, as it depends on how many spaces are open in each grade.

Students who attend middle school at Alcides and want to continue to high school must reapply. However, current students get special consideration during the admissions process.

School Achievements

Students at Alcides Figueroa come from all over western Puerto Rico. They are known for doing very well academically. Alcides is often the only school in Añasco to pass the Puerto Rican Tests of Academic Achievement (META-PR) each year. Many students also get accepted into other special schools like the Residential Center for Educative Opportunities of Mayagüez.

In 2009–2010, Alcides had the highest number of gifted students in the Advanced Placement Program among public high schools in Puerto Rico. In 2016, the school was recognized for having a very high percentage of students with excellent grades (4.0 GPA|Grade-point average).

In 2017 and 2018, Alcides students achieved some of the top scores on the College Board University admissions test across the island. The school was also the top-performing school in the META-PR tests in 2018.

Alcides students also participate in various competitions and projects:

• In 2006, a student team won first place in a regional competition for their product, Penooff, a pen with a built-in liquid paper cap.
• In 2019, the school won an award for the NASA Puerto Rico Space Grant Consortium's "Veggies in Space" program.

For the 2018–19 school year, Alcides was rated the top high school out of 205 in Puerto Rico. The school also has one of the lowest student dropout rates in Puerto Rico. Alcides offers Italian classes as part of the Education Department's International Schools program.

Student Organizations

The school offers many clubs for students, including:

• Future NASA Scientists and Engineers Club: Started in 2019.
• Medicine Club: Connected to the Hispanic Center for Excellence at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine.
• Library Assistants Club: Started in 2019.
• Theater Club: Started in 2022.

Working with the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez

Many Alcides graduates go on to study at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM). Because of this close connection, Alcides students often join camps, competitions, and conferences at the university. Some of these include:

• Cinco Días con Nuestra Tierra: An agricultural fair.
• CREST: A summer camp focused on nanotechnology.
• Mechanical Engineering Summer Camp: Helps high school students learn about mechanical engineering.
• National Crystallization Competition: Students grow crystals and explain their methods.
• PR Weather Camp: Teaches students about weather and environmental science.
• Sea Grant Program: Workshops and field trips about marine ecosystems.
• Summer Transportation Institute: Explores careers in the transportation industry.
• UPR Summer School: Offers classes in math and English, plus workshops and sports.

School Grounds

School logo used at entrance of the school campus

The school has several facilities for students:

• An athletic track
• A basketball court
• A small central plaza
• A cafeteria
• A library

The Office for the Management of Public Buildings is responsible for keeping the school grounds in good condition. The school is also used as a polling place for elections. It is considered an important building that the water authority must always supply with water.

Even though the school is well-maintained, it has faced challenges with flooding. When it rains heavily, water can run from the roof into the hallways and even reach the entrances of some classrooms.

School Personnel

Principals

Notable Teachers

• Ramón Morales Rivera: A Spanish teacher and Head teacher.
• Roberto L. Díaz Díaz: A high school math teacher who has won awards and helped develop math guides for the education department.

Student Enrollment

At the Old Campus (Sergio Ramírez de Arellano)

Source:

At Alcides (New Campus)

Graduating Classes

Notable Alumni

Many former students of Alcides Figueroa Bilingual School have gone on to do amazing things:

• Shaina Isaray Cabán Cortés (Class of '15, High School) - A journalist and TV co-host.
• Natalia Chaparro Resto (Class of '14, Middle School) - The creator of Raitrú.
• Laura Ysabel Cruz Arroyo (Class of '18, High School) - A singer who appeared on La Voz Kids (Season 3).
• Geobriel Febus (Class of '17, High School) - A finalist in La Máxima, a competition by the New Virtual School.
• Pete Méndez Bonilla (Class of '14, High School) - A photographer and owner of Pelican Studios.
• Gabriela Ríos Rodríguez (Class of '17, High School) - The founder and director of Ciudad Museo.
• Zoryan Rodríguez Feliciano (Class of '14, High School) - The winner of the sixth Poetry Out Loud competition in Puerto Rico.
• Julián Rodríguez Jirau (Class of '13, High School) - A master's student in Bio-Integrated Design at University College London.

Images for kids

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  The Specialized Schools Unit's logo, the Department of Education's magnet school division.

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  School logo used at entrance of the school campus

See Also

In Spanish: Escuela Especializada Alcides Figueroa para niños