The Columbus School in Medellin Colombia...a nightmare!!

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The Columbus School in Medellin Colombia...a nightmare!!

We are a family that was relocated in Medellin. We chose the columbus school for our kids not knowing what we were getting ourselves into. The school has a serious bullying problem. Most of the kids in the school don't like new students and it's even worst if they come from countries abroad. Mistreatment is what the new kids have to face EVERYDAY...and what is most incredible: the school doesn't do anything to help. They love to say they are the best school in Colombia but they don't say a word about the huge problem they have inside. If your child is being bullied you are all by yourself with the problem, don't expect support of any kind.

There are excellent schools in Medellin they may not be international schools, but at least your kids will be in a save environment...for us the Columbus School in Medellin was a terrible mistake a really nightmare.

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The Columbus School in Medellin Colombia...a nightmare!!

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Mar 28, 2012

Not Perfect but definitely the best option in Medellin
by: Anonymous

First let me introduce the background I am coming from. My father is American my mother is a true "Paisa". I have studied in 7 international schools in different parts of the world, among these Colegio Nueva Granada and "The Columbus School". I am currently a senior studying in Europe but I can tell you that the quality of the education at the Columbus School is great.

There are a couple of things you must understand before you enroll your child. 1. It is a hard adaptation process, more so than many international schools. 2. The "Paisa Culture" is tightly knit but they are becoming more and more open-minded. 3. Ask the school for help in the language adaptation process, the school does everything they can but it is hard considering that more than 95% of the students speak Spanish.

The rumors about bullying are untrue. Yes there is bullying, but the school is actively acting upon the matter and I believe it is no longer a mayor issue ESPECIALLY if your children will attend high school.

Finally, a lot of the reviewers here suggest that other schools are better for international students. THIS IS SIMPlY NOT TRUE. No other school in Medellin will fit the needs of international students better than the Columbus School. It is not perfect but it is the best option. I really think that the person who wrote this initial review had very little communication with the school. If your child is going to come to Colombia you need to be involved in their education because the CS is not easy but it is also a fantastic school that offers a very healthy environment with sports, teachers, academics and social life!

Mar 05, 2012

A disappointment
by: Anonymous

As an international family, the Columbus School was a huge disappointment! My children were both physically and verbally bullied. It is just sad that for some reason the majority of these kids are so insecure that they seem to be threatened by foreigners.

Jan 19, 2012

International Family view
by: Anonymous

We are an international family whose children recently went to Columbus. We were disappointed in the school.

I would suggest international families looking to attend Columbus ask the admission office to speak to a current international family. I wish I had as many new international families are beginning to choose other schools.

All school communications are sent in Spanish. They immediately exclude some the international community. This is something very small but illustrates that as an international family it is very hard to integrate and become part of the Columbus community.

The level of academic is an average to good USA state school. You need to understand this when you commit to Columbus. This is the same standard as you will get in other American schools in Colombia.

Bullying does happen in this school. I reported an incident with one of my children and it was dealt immediately.

At the end of the day, you need to go into the school knowing that your child will be getting an average/good state school education and will find it very difficult or almost impossible to integrate. This will avoid disappointment.

Dec 31, 2011

Don't think so
by: Anonymous

I am a student at this school and I respectfully disagree. there are tons of campaigns against it. Like: the golden rule (elementary school) and 3 steps to do when you are being bullied (middle school).

Believe me there are serious punishments for bullies and there is tons of people you can ask for help if you are being bullied.

The Columbus school is a great school and is not a home for bullying.

A student

Dec 25, 2011

I TOTALLY disagree!!!!
by: ricardo

hi, i am a 7th grade student at the columbus school, and sincerely i really think this school has no bullying at all! Well in my current year there is no bullying! plus, my school has done tons and tons of bullying campaigns! Don't let this man of women to change your minds or influence you! The columbus school has such great opportunities, and it is bilingual, and it has one of the greatest academic level here in medellin. The teachers know how to teach better than every other teacher in other school, and if you have a problem they`ll understand you and try to help you.

BUT THE BULLYING THING IS A LIE PEOPLE!!

Nov 17, 2011

I'm a CS parent and senior
by: Chuck

After reading all the comments I'll like to add: "all of the above". The CS is just another school with problems like all schools. YES! My kids have obnoxious classmates but they did figure out how to deal with them... And in today's world that's a skill everyone must learn. Yes, maybe there are other schools where kids live an artificial peaceful life suitable for a future life in the middle of Iowa but certainly not as CEO of a multinational company.

Oct 30, 2011

I respectfully disagree
by: Anonymous

Watch your words! This school is doing it's best to help bullying disappear. I have proof. I am a young student there, and I am having many conferences about not to treat other people badly per MONTH!!!! What you said is not true, if people are getting involved in this, there is no such thing as the Columbus school having bullying problems and doing nothing about it. Most of all, I feel completely safe in this school, having people I can talk to if I have problems, and I am not known as the popular or prettiest kid there. It's easy to get friends there, the education is great, and problems are solved if people tell the school counselor. I do not know if your child told the counselor after all, but I am sure that if he or she did, you wouldn't have this problem.

Oct 18, 2011

Based on personal experience, I disagree
by: Columbus School Student

First of all let me introduce myself. I am currently a senior and have studied all of my life there. I am not a guy that is perceived as popular but I haven't thought of my school as a ''nightmare.''

The school does help fight bullying first of all, fighting it from the root. Activities such as the ''Convivencias'' integrate a lot the group, not to mention that the group integrates a lot without the school's actions. Now, if a really delicate bullying case presents, the school treats it within a different context (it's not the same to treat bullying in 1st grade as it is in 8th grade). Actually, those bullying, popular/unpopular, ugly/good-looking, closed social circles statuses tend to disappear over time (by the time of 10th grade approximately).

With all respect, I think your child was out of context (pretty understandable actually). The paisa culture is another culture and it might be pretty difficult for your child to accept it, but that's just the way it is. And about our paisa culture, I do have a lot criticques over it, it's light years away of being a mature culture, but that is just the way we are. We aren't xenophobic as you suggest. Actually, if you have ever been in El Parque Lleras, or El Poblado in general, you can see it's full of happy foreigners saying they love the city.

I don't know how old is your child, and I don't know what school did he/she finally went to, I have never studied at another school, but The Columbus School, has tought me life skills.

Aug 29, 2011

Respectfully Disagree
by: Anonymous

I would like to provide a more realistic response instead of maybe just a bitter parent or teacher singling out one incident. I have worked at The Columbus School for 6 years. First of all, there is bullying and I would challenge you to find a school that does not have bullying. The difference is we are aware of the problem and we have the necessary programs and people in place to deal with it. We work hard to teach the students about empathy as the latest research shows that this is the most important factor in decreasing bullying. We have isolated cases that we work very hard in and have a very clear and logical process with logical consequences.

Second, as for the cultural piece it is not fair to put "everyone" into the same grouping and determine that the entire culture is a certain way as that is a very ignorant statement. There are some tendencies that you may see in some of the people in The Columbus School or in the region of Antioquia. They are very family oriented and close in that sense. As a result some foreign students may not be accepted as quickly as other family members. To put this into perspective I remember a student that researched his family tree and found that he had 52 members of his family in The Columbus School. So, yes it can be a close family unit when you study with 50+ cousins, brothers, sisters, etc.

I can also confidentally say that since the school has been focused on developing critical thinkers with a global perspective I have seen the students grow in the numbers of international families we have and in how the students view newcomers.

I have been in education for about 15 years now and as parent of a young child I would recommend The Columbus School 100%. If you still have doubts then I encourage you to call the school and come down to one of our prospective parent meetings that we hold on Friday mornings and take the tour of the school and see what we are all about!

Aug 03, 2011

It is a BULLY school !
by: Anonymous

Kids single out kids from foreign countries. It is not that paisas stick together. They will bully even latin american kids.

The school brings together spoiled kids, whose parents are indistrialists, or grandchildren of industrialists and excecutives and have a chip on their shoulder. These kids believe in elitism and are cruel as to themselves even if they are insiders.

The second point about the bullying, these kids do not like that their classmates excell. They will speak English as is they were speaking Spanish almost like whining. Anyone with better grades, smoother accent, better vocabulary, better reading comprehension is a target.

So many years have passed since I attended the CS, they have a better infrastructure for teaching but its culture is the same. Complacence, laziness, maintain the status quo and make those who are earnest in making the best, to conform.

It was a relief attending EAFIT. My classmates were from parochial schools, easy going, non stressful, kinder and serious about their education.

The handful, who felt elitists isolated themselves. They had no interaction skills and unadapted to participate in the workforce. Now as adults in their 50s, reviewing where are we now, these adults have little to show for their parent's investment in their education.

Jul 07, 2011

I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE
by: Anonymous

I work at the Columbus School and I think this is not true at all. However, I do agree that Paisas sometimes do tend to stick together like glue, but the truth is Columbus School is the only international school in Medellín and their kids are more global minded than the average Paisa kid. I really recommend The Columbus School. We have great anti-bullying programs, plus each section has their own counselors who are there to help both parents and students. Elementary kids came up with a great campaign all by themselves called The Golden Rule, which is ?Treat others as you would like to be treated? and in Middle School there is a great campaign that invites all kids to follow three simple steps:

1. Ask the bully to stop what he/she is doing
2. Walk away if the bully doesn´t stop
3. Talk to an adult if the bullying continues

I would recommend The Columbus School above all other schools in Medellín because it offers its students excellent academic programs, social responsibility programs and projects to give back to the community and it provides them with global, critical thinking. I would tell all those people who are saying that The Columbus School does nothing to prevent bullying that they are wrong. It may have been a specific problem or circumstance, but please, I invite you to visit our website and to come to the School and see for yourselves what the school is doing to avoid these comments that are just seeking to hurt the School´s reputation.

Jun 30, 2011

colegio columbus
by: Anonymous

Estoy buscando colegio para mis hijas y el Columbus es una opcion...pero con las referencia que me estan dando...sinceramente ya lo miro con otros ojos, Soy argentina y me han hablado maravillas de la gente de Colombia....y me doleria en el alma exponer a mis hijas a un lugar asi en donde falta contencion.
Saben de alguna otra opcion con nivel academio alto y ingles excelente. mis hijas estan en un colegio buenisimo en la argentina y no quiesiera que perdiesen el nivel de ingles....pero la parte humana es lo prioridad.
Dsde ya muchas gracias si alguien me puede orientar.

May 09, 2011

Agree
by: Anonymous

Hi, I tried to submit my comment a bit ago, but it didn't work. I currently work at the school. Bullying is a problem for expat kids and for kids who don't fit the "paisa" mold.

Expat parents usually complain about the school culture which glosses over problems such as bullying or student accountability and all the ones I have know during the last few years have pulled their kids out within a year.

If possible, I would home school.

May 09, 2011

I Work Here
by: Anonymous

Hi

I currently work at The Columbus School. What the original poster said about the bullying problem is true. There are some truly amazing students at the school, but it's not the easiest place for an expat kid or for any kid who doesn't fit the paisa mold. I would honestly home school my kids or make sure to be super vigilant about what is going on with my kid in the class. A lot of expat parents that come here complain about the bullying and the lack of accountability.

Apr 20, 2011

Agree
by: Anonymous

It's too bad to hear that. Bullying is a serios problem at most of schools around the world. ut I know that at the Columbus, the real problem is their families (most of them, not all) that beleive they are the best in town and their students beleive in that theory. Hope you find another options like San Ignacio. Go to EAFIT University and try to talk with the principal (Juan Luis Mejia) may he can advise you.

Mar 29, 2011

Columbus
by: john

Does anybody else have experience of the Columbus School...good or bad I may be moving there and this looked the likely school for my geekish 9 year old boy. Now I am worried.

Feb 10, 2011

Philadelphia to Medellin
by: tom

I´m sending my resume to Columbus school and saw your post here.

I´m sorry for what you faced there.
If anyone can help me here....
I NEED a job in Medellin. I´m a great teacher with over 12 years of succesful teaching, but need to re-locate to Medellin.

I heard what you did about Columbus being the best, but I simply want a steady paying job and would love to get a teaching job if I could.... MY Spanish is .. high intermediate level now, but I´m smart and have faith that I can kick it up a few notches if need be.

Any help would be appreciated!

Nov 11, 2010

Cant believe!
by: Wayne Bogota

Paisas all claim to be the friendliest! But they do stick together like glue. Have my wifes bogatan family live there and for along time drive a taxi was all he could get. Hope it all worked out.

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The Columbus School in Medellin Colombia...a nightmare!!

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The Columbus School in Medellin Colombia...a nightmare!!