Elementary school y dinner con burns

Vocab:
Q hielado- how icy aka freezing

Today we went to a jesuit school called Centro San Ignacio de Loyola Valparaiso.  Originally this school was created to educate the lower class and is part of the web of Fe y Alegria (faith and happiness).  This school was very interesting because they are working to provide education of the same quality for everyone.  They are also part of the REI (la red educacional Ignacia) to help vulnerable families obtain better education.   Their goal is to make the education in their school more equal with more solidarity in hopes that this will carry on and create a better society in the future.

I forgot my camera so I borrowed on of the school from google

Stats:
746 students (kinder-8th grade)
60% socially vulnerable

Impressions:
they loved their principal
2 grade one main teacher one helper for 40 students
8 grade wilder and flocked us as we came around
Happy environment with very hospitable people (they gave us tea, cookies and bread as we discussed our impressions) everyone was so nice and willing to answer questiosn

Upper grades had less women due to old traditions of separating the genders and it used to be a only boys school

Grading System:
2 reds (which is less than a 3 on a 1-7 scale) then they have to repeat the year
Students with special needs stay in the same classroom but have special exams (assessment) and workshops
Summer is 2 months around January
Each class has a book with a picture of each student where they take good or bad notes about their behavior, they use these books to determine how to punish

Price:
20,000 Chilean Pesos per month- food provided by government  ($40,000 per month)
Low income students don't have to pay- there is a limit of 7 students per class with financial assistanships
There is a weightlist to get accepted and the headmaster interviews the families

Education Structure:
1a and 1b were when classes came in at different times in the day one in the morning/afternoon
Offered electives outside of the required classes, some of these electives they worked out a partnership with other schools to use their resources (for swimming went to a neighbor school for their pool)
1 day per week the older kids stay till 5
Offer a preuniversity class that is not necessary but prepares them for the PSU (ACT)

Interesting fact was that they allow their students to have a voice in the Centro de Alumnos and this teaches early on accountability and democracy because the students hold their elected president accountable.


Dinner at The O'Higgins Restaurante en Valpo

Google image, we were there at night, it was just a couple blocks away from our university

O'higgins liberated Chile from Spanish rule.  It was a really nice restaurant with a giant fireplace.    I think it was the first time that I took of my jacket when I ate in a restaurant. It was so nice and toasty.  The food was also amazing I got a fish (Reineta) covered in onions tomato and ham.  Then on the side it came with sauteed veggies.  I do wish it came with a heavier starch because I ended up eating a lot of Retmals fries.  Burns gave me a look like I see what you're doing.  He also teased Retmal because his meal looked like a fancy chicken friend steak.  We mostly discussed what we liked and didn't like about the program and Chile. Lindsey had the most to say because she had been here the longest.  Mr./Mrs. Hargis gave us some none stick pistol pete stickers for our phones and paid for dinner.  For desert we got tres leches cake which was amazing.  The director of International programs at PUCV was also very interesting he picked out all the wines and the restaurant and told us what he recommended. He also told me that Once, used to stand for a drink with 11 letters, so it was code word for Chileans to go get an afternoon drink.  He said Chileans know how to drink and enjoy wine.

http://www.restaurantohiggins.cl/valparaiso/