Senior Recuperation Exams Under way

For senior who are on the verge of flunking the grade, recuperation exams took place today Monday may 27th. The senior group is concentrated in three classes: Philosophy, Journalism and Spanish. There are a total of 17 students who have to take the recuperation exams. Among the group of seniors there are four girls: Sonia Herrera, Patricia Tejeda, Pamela Moncada and Karen Nodarse. For boys there are a total of 13 of them, some of them are: Allan Chavarria, Mario Velez, Joachim Ritter, and Roberto Bueso.

The first test, Spanish with Ms Mendoza, took place at 7:45 in the morning in room c5 on the “C” wing of the EIS school complex. The students who had to take the test were the following five: Roberto Bueso, Marco Caceres, Rodolfo Lugo, Fabricio Osorio and Yurko Sandoval. When Marco Caceres, a senior at EIS who also had to take the recuperation exam, finished the exam he stated he was uncertain of how he had done in his test. “I tried my best to complete the test but it was very long and we had to write a lot, but I guess I will pass” Said Marco after completing his Spanish exam at 9:15 a.m. “oh my god I’m not sure if I passed, it was really hard” said Rodolfo Lugo at 9:30 after finishing his Spanish exam.
The philosophy test was the second test of the day. It took place at 10:30 a.m. in room c2 in the same wing as the Spanish test. In this philosophy course the greatest number of the seniors who had to take recuperation exams had to take this test. In total 14 students had to take the exam. Among these students we find the following: Sonia Herrera, Jonathan Werner, Mario Velez, Rodolfo Lugo and Fabricio Osorio. Mr. David Schultz, the philosophy teacher, unlike any other teachers helped his students by having intensive 3rd and 4th bimester classes during the week before the recuperation exams. “I think that his help by giving us those classes will be our salvation” said Joachim Ritter, and added “he is the only teacher who seemed to be worried for us and decided to help us”. Fabricio Osorio finished his test at 12:15 and stated that he felt confident thanks to the classes he received. “It was everything we saw in classes with him” said Rodolfo Lugo after finishing up with his test.
The other course in which only two people flunked was journalism, a class imparted by Mr. Schultz. When asked what the work to do was, Patricia Tejeda, a senior at EIS, said ”he asked us to write our 4th bimester portfolio and we have to get a grade that added to the one we have in creative writing will give us a passing grade”. The portfolio is due for Thursday for both Patricia and Yurko Sandoval, the other senior who has to make up the portfolio. These tests are the last options seniors have in order to graduate. If seniors fail to pass these recuperation exams, they will graduate until they finish a 5 week summer school course that will cover the subject which was flunked. It will cover the whole school year and an exam will be held at the end of the course. “We hope all students make it through recuperation because it is always sad to see a senior not graduate with his friends” said official school director, Sor Reina Rojas, “they will have to try their best to pass and be able to go on to their graduation, it is up to them.”

Senior Farewell

On Thursday may 12, Escuela Internacional Sampedrana Juniors held a farewell for the school seniors. Thursday was the last day the seniors had of class. “Finally done with school” said hector Abouid, one of the seniors. As it is a tradition at EIS seniors leave school before the rest of high school due to the fact that they have to take some extra tests in order to accomplish the requirements for the ministry of education. Some of the tests that the students have to take are: the anthem test and the presentation and defense of the thesis they wrote for social work.

The juniors at the farewell showed a PowerPoint which was rated as mediocre by all seniors. “Well it sucks the way they did the slide show but it’s the intention that counts” said Melissa Varela. In the farewell there was also an ex senior who participated, Doris Mejia. “I am crying my heart off after listening to Doris speaks” said Tal Rubenstein, in the middle of Doris’s speech. Doris stated that this was one of the hardest speeches she gave in her life. “It sucks to see all of my friends all the people I learned to love in this school leave” said Doris, while a tear ran down her cheek.

Ms. Pineda leaves school

In April, English teacher, Jules Pineda left school without any prior notice to students. Her departure was a mystery for everyone in school. According to twelfth grade student Iolani Dubon “she was very displeased with student but we never thought she could leave”. School officials could not give anyone an answer because according to them this was also unthought-of of for them. The school official director Sor Reina Rojas stated her dislike by stating that her sudden resignation left the English department in a bad state with one teacher less and no lesson plans. “She left all of a sudden and we were not ready for it, now we have to see what we can do” said Sor Reina. A mix of emotions was spread by students some agreeing and actually being glad with what happened and others who were closer to Ms Pineda disliked the idea.

In order to replace Ms. Pineda’s absence school assigned the twelfth and eleventh grade classes to Mr. John Ellis, who also teaches eleventh grade world history. His schedule was the most apt for the students on the 12th and 11th English course that Ms Pineda taught. Mr. Ellis said “it’s a bigger burden for me but thankfully enough the twelfth grade classes fit into my schedule.” Students have also stated they like Mr. Ellis and his teaching methods. Jose Miguel Pavon, a junior, said”he is more comprehensive and can relate to the situation that happened with Miss Pineda, although I feel glad Miss Pineda left”. “Class is more entertaining and at the same time educational” said Jorge Hernandez a senior at Escuela Internacional Sampedrana, “the thing is she left too late and left us with no work”. Other students were concerned with their grades because miss Pineda failed to input the last grades of homework done with her in class, and for homework. “She left and took my papers” said Israel Garcia a senior and 12th grade president “now what am I supposed to do?”

In a slight conversation with Mr. Bloome, an English teacher at school he stated what Miss Pineda said to him. “she told a group of teacher that she was very unhappy with the way students treated her, she had no relatives, was engaged with a man in the united states and her only friend left early in the year” said Mr. Bloome. “We have no other option than make up a lesson plan according to what students say they have studied” said the school’s technical director, Miss Gloria Alcantara, “we are not pleased with her decision but school must go on, especially for the seniors because they are about to leave school. So we did our best to complete their English course this year.”

Rumors spread in school for the reason of Ms Pineda’s departure but they were only that, rumors. People showed some disturbance in the senior crowd. “Some of the rumors going around school were pretty nasty and sound super fake, they could really get Ms Pineda in trouble” said Karen Nodarse one of the many seniors who Miss Pineda left hanging without any clue of what had happened. The plans the made are not in school anymore so new ones will be made; the whole English department teachers are working on it. For the moment Mr. Ellis is showing his twelfth grade class the continuation of the video of “Why the caged bird sings” by Maya Angelou. With his eleventh grade class he is writing some papers about American romanticism. “I do this mostly for the kids but overall I am enjoying teaching these kids.”