Colegio de la Preciosa Sangre de Pichilemu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Colegio de la Preciosa Sangre de Pichilemu |
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| Location | |
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Chile
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| Coordinates | 34°23′24″S 72°00′32″W / 34.3900°S 72.0089°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private State-subsidized, primary and secondary school |
| Established | April 1947 (as Escuela Doctor Eugenio Díaz Lira) |
| Principal | Mother Elizabeth Arriagada Sanzana (2013–present) |
| Teaching staff | 29 |
| Grades | Preschool—12 (Cuarto medio) |
| Enrollment | 534 (2015) |
| SIMCE average | 264/262 (Mathematics/Language) |
The Colegio de la Preciosa Sangre de Pichilemu (often called Preciosa Sangre) is a school in Pichilemu, Chile. It's a private Catholic school that gets some money from the government. Students from preschool all the way to twelfth grade (the last year of high school) attend this school.
The school started in April 1947 as a girls' school. It was first named Escuela Doctor Eugenio Díaz Lira. In March 1979, it became a school for both boys and girls. The name changed to Preciosa Sangre in 1986. Local newspapers have called it "the best school in Pichilemu" and "a regional icon." It's the biggest school in Pichilemu, with 534 students in 2015.
Preciosa Sangre offers many fun activities outside of classes. These include sports, religious groups, and arts. The school's cheerleading team, Cheer C.P.S., has won many national awards. They even competed in the United States twice! The English debate team also did very well in regional competitions.
Contents
School History
After Pichilemu became an official town in 1891, a rich Chilean writer named Agustín Ross wanted to make it a special tourist spot. He built a hotel, a post office, and a park. These places attracted wealthy families from Chile and Argentina. One of these families was Maria Luisa Lira Errázuriz's family. Her son, Eugenio Díaz Lira, was a doctor.
Eugenio loved Pichilemu. After finishing his medical studies in 1904, he built a summer house there. He also opened the town's first medical center, called San Rafael. Eugenio Díaz Lira passed away in 1945.
After Eugenio's death, his family gave his summer house to a group of Catholic nuns called the Chilean Congregation of the Precious Blood. In April 1947, they turned the house into a free school for girls. It was named Escuela de Niñas Particular N° 16 Doctor Eugenio Díaz Lira to honor the doctor. The school's main goal was to teach girls Catholic values and prepare them to be good mothers and workers. Mother María Teresa Corvalán Guzmán was the first principal.
The Chilean Ministry of Education officially recognized the school in 1954. In March 1979, boys were also allowed to attend. The school changed its name to Colegio de la Preciosa Sangre in 1986. This new name better honored the school's founders. In 1995, the school started offering high school classes, and its first high school class graduated in 1998.
In 2012, the school's oldest building, where preschool classes were held, was rebuilt. It had been damaged in the 2010 Chile earthquake. The new building opened on September 10, 2012.
Learning at Preciosa Sangre
At Preciosa Sangre, the school day can be long, especially for high school students. They usually attend from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Students are not allowed to leave the school during class hours. The school focuses on helping students grow in every way, aiming for excellent academics and strong religious values. It has a Catholic religious focus.
The school is known for its good test scores. In 2011, a local newspaper called it "the best in Pichilemu" based on university entrance exam results. The school's national ranking for these tests improved a lot, from 1328th in 2009 to 738th in 2011.
Preciosa Sangre also scores well on the SIMCE tests. These are standardized tests given to students in different grades for subjects like reading, math, history, science, and English. The school often scores higher than other schools with similar student backgrounds.
Students and Teachers
In 2015, Preciosa Sangre had 534 students, from preschool to twelfth grade. There were about 38 students in each grade. The school serves students from 4 to 19 years old. In 2012, 159 students were considered "prioritary." This means their family's financial situation might make it harder for them to succeed in school.
In 2014, the school had 29 full-time teachers. The school also has about 45 administrative staff members who help run things.
If you want to join Preciosa Sangre, you can apply between November 1st and December 9th each year. Most new students join the preschool class, which has a limit of 35 students. If you have brothers or sisters who already go to or went to Preciosa Sangre, you get priority. To join preschool, you usually need to be at least four years old. There is no fee to apply.
The Chilean Congregation of the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ runs the school. Mother Elizabeth Carmen Arriagada Sanzana has been the principal since 2013. The school also has a Pedagogical Technical Unit (UTP) that helps with teaching methods.
Students at Preciosa Sangre have their own student center. This group represents the students and helps with different school activities. Its leaders are chosen by the students in an election.
School Activities
Preciosa Sangre offers many exciting activities for students to join! These activities help students learn new skills and have fun outside of regular classes.
- Arts and Culture: Students can join the choir, learn to play instruments, or take dance classes. There are also workshops for musical drama, handicrafts, and traditional Chilean folk dance (cueca).
- Academics: For students who love science, there's the Explora workshop. There are also special workshops for language and mathematics. Older students can join preuniversitario courses, which help them get ready for the university entrance exam.
- Religious Activities: Students can participate in pastoral groups and catechesis classes to learn more about their faith.
- School for Parents: The school also hosts a monthly "School for Parents" (Escuela para Padres). Here, parents get advice on how to support their children's education.
Sports and Athletics
The school has a sports club called Club Deportivo Cultural Colegio Preciosa Sangre. This club offers many sports workshops, including:
- Football (soccer)
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Gymnastics
- Cheerleading (for both experienced and new cheerleaders)
Preciosa Sangre's soccer and volleyball teams compete in the Cardenal Caro Athletic League. In 2009, the girls' volleyball team came in second place in the provincial league.
Students from Preciosa Sangre have also done well in surfing competitions. In 2007, Trinidad Segura won first place in the women's category of a student surf championship. Two other students, Felipe Sierra and Washington Saldías, placed second and third in the primary students' men's category.
Cheer C.P.S.
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| Sport | Cheerleading |
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| Founded | 2007 |
| Based in | Pichilemu, Chile |
| Colors | White and blue |
| Owner | Claudio Rojas Covarrubias |
| Championships | JAMfest Super Nationals (2009): Senior All-Music (1st), Grand Champion (5th) All Star USA 2013 (2013): 2nd place Jam-Bash Series Orlando (2013): Senior Co-Ed Cheer (Best Choreography) |
Cheer C.P.S. is the school's cheerleading team, started in 2007 by physical education teacher Claudio Rojas Covarrubias. In 2009, the team had 27 students. They have won many national competitions, which allowed them to compete in the United States!
- 2009 Trip to the USA: In 2009, Cheer C.P.S. was the only Chilean team to go to the JAMfest Nationals in Tampa, Florida. They won first place in their category and fifth place overall among more than 150 teams from different countries! When they returned to Chile, they were welcomed by important government officials, including the President. Their return to Pichilemu was described as "historic" because so many people came out to celebrate them.
- 2013 Trip to the USA: In 2013, Cheer C.P.S. went to Orlando, Florida, for two more international tournaments: All Star USA 2013 and JAMfest Bash Series. The team, with 28 teenagers, raised money and got help from the local government to make the trip. In All Star USA 2013, they placed second, and one cheerleader, Noemí Pavez, won first place in the Jumping category! In the Jamfest Nationals, they won first place for their choreography. When they came back, they were again welcomed by the President of Chile.
The cheerleading team also organizes its own competition called CheerPichilemu. It first took place in 2007 at the Municipal Stadium of Pichilemu. It was the first national open cheerleading tournament!
English Debate Team
The school's English debate team, known informally as Kick-A**, is led by English teacher Natalia Polanco Pino.
- 2011 Competition: In 2011, the team joined the National English Debates Tournament for the first time. They made it to the regional finals and finished in second place! They debated whether "unhealthy food should be more expensive than healthy food." Even though they didn't win first, the mayor of Pichilemu and other education officials honored them.
- 2012 Competition: In 2012, Kick-A** again reached the regional finals. They debated the topic: "This house believes that social media should be censored." They finished in fourth place.
- 2013 Competition: The team participated again in 2013 and had the highest score in their region to reach the finals! They were very close to winning but lost to another school.
- 2014 Competition: In their last participation in this tournament in 2014, they got the highest score in the first round. They ended up in third place in the O'Higgins Region after debating if "advertisement aimed at children should be banned."
News Olympics
A team from Preciosa Sangre, led by Spanish language teacher Fabián Valle Silva, competed in the Olimpíadas de Actualidad (News Olympics). This competition tests students' knowledge of current events. Preciosa Sangre first joined in 2012 and reached the regional finals, placing third. They participated again in 2013 but did not advance to the second round.
Other Activities
Students from Preciosa Sangre also take part in many other interesting activities:
- Model UN (MOEA): In 2011, seven students represented Preciosa Sangre in the Modelo de la Organización de Estados Americanos (MOEA), which is like a Model United Nations event. They represented the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The school was recognized as one of the top three teams in the activity!
- Mining Marathon: In 2008, a team of second graders from Preciosa Sangre participated in a "Marathon of Knowledge" called Maratón Minera. Out of 98 teams, Preciosa Sangre's team, Los Cuchitos, received an honorable mention!
- Writing Competitions: In 2011, a student named Diego Grez Cañete won second place in a "Be a Reporter" competition for his article about free education. In 2012, the same student received an honorable mention for his short story, "It's a Beautiful Day," which was even published in a book!
- Municipal Debates: In October 2012, high school students from Preciosa Sangre organized a debate for candidates running for mayor of Pichilemu. This was the first debate of its kind in Pichilemu! It was broadcast live on local radio stations and praised for being well-planned.
- School Anniversary: Every year, Preciosa Sangre celebrates its anniversary in October or November. Students divide into two teams, or "alliances," and compete in games and activities like basketball and football. The celebrations end with a parade of creative floats made by each team and a gala party. In 2012, both teams even made funny parody videos of the "Gangnam Style" music video!
Famous Former Students
Some former students of Colegio de la Preciosa Sangre de Pichilemu have become important figures:
- Jorge Vargas González (born 1966) was a local politician. He served on the Pichilemu City Council and later became the mayor of Pichilemu from 1996 to 2007.
- Rebeca Cofré Calderón (born 1962) is the current mayor of Chépica. She first took office in 2008 and was re-elected in 2012.
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