Santiago College facts for kids

Santiago College is a private school in Santiago, Chile. It was started in 1880 by an American couple, Ira Haynes La Fetra and his wife. They first opened it as a boarding school just for girls. In March 1972, the school welcomed both boys and girls, becoming a co-educational school.

How Santiago College Teaches

Santiago College uses two main ways to teach its students. It follows the regular Chilean national education plan. It also uses the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme for all grades.

Learning in Different Languages

From Pre-Kindergarten up to 8th grade, most classes are taught in English. Some subjects, like Spanish, Religion, Physical Education, Sports, and Arts, are taught in Spanish. In the higher grades (9th to 12th), most classes switch to being taught in Spanish. However, subjects like Business Management and Environmental Systems and Societies are still taught in English.

Chilean School Years

The Chilean school system divides the years into two parts:

• Enseñanza Básica: This is the basic, required education, from 1st to 8th grade.
• Enseñanza Media: This is the secondary education, from 9th to 12th grade. These are sometimes called I, II, III, and IV, or IX, X, XI, and XII.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme

The IB Programme at Santiago College has three main parts:

• Primary Years Programme (PYP): This is for younger students, from Pre-Kindergarten to 5th grade.
• Middle Years Programme (MYP): This program is for students in 6th to 9th grade.
• Diploma Programme (Dip.): This is for older students, from 10th to 12th grade.

Until recently, students took their IB Diploma exams in November. However, since 2022, they take these exams in May. This change helps avoid conflicts with the Chilean university entrance exams (PAES), which happen in early December. Even though the Chilean school year runs from March to December, taking the IB exams in May helps students prepare better for university.

School Locations Over Time

Santiago College has moved its main campus five times since it started. Each move was to a bigger place to fit more students.

• 17 Vergara Street (1880–1881)
• 219 Alameda de las Delicias (1882–1886)
• 2050 Agustinas Street (1887–1932)
• 2465 Lota Street (1933–2011)
• 4007 Camino Los Trapenses Avenue (2012–present)

The school began in downtown Santiago. It then moved to different spots as it grew. The 'Los Leones' campus in Providencia was built in 1930. Santiago College stayed there until 2012. Then, it moved to its current location in Los Trapenses, Lo Barnechea. This is a neighborhood on the edge of Santiago.

There are still places named after important people from the school's past near the old 'Los Leones' campus. For example, Adelaida La Fetra street is named after the school's founder. Plazuela Elizabeth Mason is a small garden square named after one of the school's headmistresses. Also, La Fetra Street honors the founders where the school once stood on Agustinas Street.

School Leaders

Here is a list of the people who have led Santiago College over the years:

• Ira Haynes La Fetra and Adelaide W. La Fetra (1880–1922)
• Mary F. Swaney (1923–1932)
• Elizabeth Mason (1933–1959)
• Larry Jackson (1960–1964)
• Elizabeth A. Grey (1964–1968)
• Jean Black de Cornejo (1969–1970)
• Gary Fritz (1970–1972)
• Maureen C. de Venegas (1972–1974)
• Adriana P. de Fuenzalida (1975–1978)
• Rebecca Donoso (1979–1990)
• Elizabeth Fox (1991–1999)
• Alun Copper (2000–2002)
• Lorna Prado Scott (2003–present)

Famous Former Students

Many talented people have graduated from Santiago College. Here are a few:

• Álex Anwandter - A singer, songwriter, and director. He was the lead singer for the band Teleradio Donoso.
• Ken Balough - A professional in video games. He worked as a spokesperson for big companies like SEGA and Sony PlayStation.
• Cecilia Bolocco - She won the Miss Universe title in 1987.
• Lorenza Izzo - An actress.
• Olga Lehmann - A visual artist.
• Marcelo Ríos - A tennis player who was ranked number 1 in the world in 1998.
• Denise Rosenthal - A singer and actress.
• Nano Stern - A musician and composer.

See also

In Spanish: Santiago College para niños