Gimnasio Moderno facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gimnasio Moderno |
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Colombia
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| Information | |
| School type | Private school |
| Founded | 1914 |
| Founder | Agustín Nieto Caballero |
| Status | Open |
| Head of school | Víctor Alberto Gómez Cusnir |
| Gender | Male |
| Language | Spanish |
| Athletics | football, basketball, volleyball and swimming |
The Gimnasio Moderno is a private school in Bogotá, Colombia. It teaches both boys and girls from primary to secondary school. The school was started in 1914 by a group of Colombians, led by Agustín Nieto Caballero.
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What Makes Gimnasio Moderno Special?
The school's main idea is called "discipline of trust" (disciplina de confianza). This idea is similar to Maria Montessori's "active discipline." It helps students learn to trust themselves and become responsible. They also learn about honesty, loyalty, and friendship by being free to explore. The Gimnasio Moderno is so old and important that it has been named a national monument.
The school also follows a motto: "Educar Antes que Instruir." This means "To educate rather than to instruct." It shows that teaching good values and helping students grow as people is more important than just giving them facts. This way of teaching works well, and the school is known for its high academic standards.
The school's learning program has four main parts. The first part includes Montessori 1, 2, and 3, plus the first Decroly grade. The second part has the second, third, fourth, and fifth Decroly grades. The third part covers grades six through nine. The last part includes grades ten and eleven.
Fun Traditions and Activities
The Gimnasio Moderno has many special traditions:
- Marching Band: The school has a marching band that has won the Batuta de Plata competition many times. They won in 1999, 2006, 2012, 2016, and 2017.
- Football Championships: There's a special football championship called the Copa Tradicion. It's played between Gimnasio Moderno and Gimnasio Campestre. The school also has its own football league for different grades called the Eaglet Cup (Copa Aguilucho).
- Founding a Football Club: In 1941, former students from the school started the famous football club Independiente Santa Fe. This club began when they formed a team to play against the school for its 25th anniversary.
- Excursion Trips: Students go on trips around Colombia. These trips follow the ideas of Robert Baden-Powell, who started the Scouting movement.
- Sports Teams: The school strongly supports its sports teams. These include football, basketball, volleyball, and swimming teams.
- Student Awards: Each year, the school gives awards to students who do well in different areas. These awards recognize personal effort, kindness, "excursionist spirit," and friendship (given to a whole class).
- Brotherhood with Gimnasio Femenino: This is a special connection with an all-girls school called "Gimnasio Femenino." It was also started by Agustin Nieto Caballero in 1927. The two schools often celebrate events and do activities together.
- Cultural Week (Semana Cultural): This is a week full of cultural events. It includes the "Morning of Talent" (Mañana del Talento Gimnasiano). During this event, students perform plays, comedy, and music. The school also hosts a popular city-wide cheerleader contest called Concurso de Barras Maria Helena Amador.
Who Has Led the School?
Here are the headmasters who have led Gimnasio Moderno over the years:
- Alberto Corradine Varela (1914)
- Pablo Vila Dinares (1915–1917)
- Tomás Rueda Vargas (1918–1920, 1922–1924, 1927–1933 and 1937–1943)
- Erich Heincke Hoyer (1921)
- Aurelio Tobón Mejía (1925–1927)
- Julio Carrizosa Valenzuela (1934–1936)
- Daniel Samper Ortega (1943–1944)
- Carlos Lleras Restrepo (1944)
- Agustín Nieto Caballero (1945–1975)
- Ernest Bein (El Prof.) (1975–1980)
- Mario Galofre Cano (1981–1984 and 1986–1994)
- Germán Pardo Sánchez (1985)
- Leopoldo Gonzalez Chaparro (1995–1997)
- Juan Carlos Bayona Vargas (1998–2012)
- Guillermo González Lecaros (e) (2012)
- Víctor Alberto Gómez Cusnir (2012–present)
The Famous Marching Band
The marching band at Gimnasio Moderno is one of the oldest school bands in Bogotá, being over 50 years old.
- The band's leader, called the drum major, is chosen by a secret vote. All band members vote every year since 1952.
- The band has won the Batuta de Plata competition five times: in 1999 (with Sebastian Devis as drum major), 2006 (Nicolás Medina), 2012 (Germán García), 2016 (Pablo Güete), and 2017 (Juan Felipe Noguera).
- On July 7, 2018, the band received an award from the Congress of the Republic of Colombia. The award was accepted by Jeronimo Marulanda (the 2018 drum major) and Juan Jose Laverde (the 1952 drum major).
Famous People Who Went Here
Many notable people have attended Gimnasio Moderno:
- Alfonso Lopez Michelsen – a former president of Colombia
- Ernesto Samper Pizano – a former president of Colombia
- Julio Mario Santo Domingo – a well-known businessman
- Rodolfo Llinás – a famous neuroscientist
- Mario Laserna Pinzón – who founded the University of Los Andes (Colombia)
- Fidel Cano Correa – a journalist and CEO of the El Espectador newspaper
- Guillermo Cano Isaza – a journalist
- Rafael Pardo – a former congressman, minister, and mayor of Bogotá
- Eduardo Caballero Calderón – a journalist and writer
- Antonio Caballero – a journalist and writer
- Daniel Samper Pizano – a lawyer, journalist, and writer
- José Alejandro Cortes – founder of Grupo Bolivar
- German Puerta – an astronomer
- Diego Trujillo – an actor
- Jorge Enrique Abello – an actor
See also
In Spanish: Gimnasio Moderno para niños
