1JOHN F. KENNEDY · THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF QUERÉTARO

‘

Feature Story

HISTORYOF GIVING

AT JFK

&Cover Story

JAIME LÓPEZ Urquiaga ‘80

JAIME ALBERTOLópez Buenrostro ‘09

2 1

FALL2009

Mirtha Stappung M.Ed., MAGENERAL DIRECTOR

Charles Weiss M.Ed., MAASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT

Denise Humphries MAPRE–SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Mark Dunn M.Ed., MAELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Tara Fitzgerald Cruz Ed. Admin., MSMIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Adrian Leece MA, BSc, FRMtSHIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Arturo BustamanteATHLETIC DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR

C.P. Josefi na Morgan M. Admon. y Finanzas

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR

Ing. Julián Urquiza, Arq. Rodolfo Vega, Lic. Roberto Loyola, Act. María del

Mar Sánchez Rull, Ing. Ángel de Lope Friedeberg.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lic. Mónica Duarte BalcárcelEDITOR IN CHIEF AND

CHAIR OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Charles Weiss, Dorothy Gerhart, Adrian Leece, Felicia Lyons,

Magdalena Chapa, Sarah DeVries, Karla Ríos

EDITORIAL BOARD

Héctor MuñozDESIGN

Karla Ríos, Víctor Ortega, Asbed LeviPHOTOGRAPHY

Mirtha Stappung, Charles Weiss, Erika Lastra, Karla Ríos, María José López Aguayo, Flor de María Rosas, Luza

Arredondo, Graciela Ugalde, Mónica Duarte, Arturo Bustamante, Valeria Fagiolani, Carlos Gabriel Gaytán,

Martin Leddy, Alda Mercado, Page Wilson, Mike Menegus.

WRITERS

Gabriela Prigmore, Graciela Fernández

TRANSLATION

ALUMNI OFFICE Valeria Fagiolani

http://alumni.jfk .edu.mxADVERTISING SALES

Karla Ríos / Berenice LedesmaTel. (442) 218 0075 ext. 1010

krios@jfk .edu.mxbledesma@jfk .edu.mx

VOL. 1 NO. 4november 2009

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Anniversary Celebrations!

REUNIONS & SNAPSHOTS

Have something to say

Letter from The General Director

TeachersSTAFF& CORNER

What is the SAT test? Why is it important to graduating students?

AcademicCorner

Connecting with Alumni

The JFKSpirit

Feature Story

His-toryofGivingatJFKJaime López Urquiaga

Jaime Alberto López Buenrostro

Cover Story

Capital Campaign 2009 –2014

2 3

Letter from the General Director Academic

What is the SAT Test? Why is it Important to Graduating Students?

CornerOUTSTANDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS BY OUR FACULTY OR STUDENTS

By Erika Lastra

Sat is a trademark for the most commonly used standardized college admissions test, formally the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the Scholastic Assessment Test. Today it is simply referred to as the sat Reasoning Test.

The sat measures knowledge and skills in three areas: Critical Reading, Math and Writ-ing. A student can score anywhere from 200 to 800 points in each area; therefore, the maxi-mum score possible is 2,400. However, before 2005, the sat only measured Critical Reading

-------------------

Greetings from JFK!

-------------------

This is a great year of festivity on campus

as we celebrate our 45th Anniversary. Each

month we have activities to remember our

past and plan for our future-together. We

are a mature institution that has developed

from its roots as a small school with only

a few students to today, with a student

population of over fourteen-hundred.

Many alumni return to campus and remem-

ber the central meeting area in front of

our Library/Media Center with its image of

the Aztec Calendar and the four directions.

Thousands of our alumni have moved on in

those four directions. They continue to

be recruited by the finest schools in

Mexico and around the world and graduate

to go on to fine careers in all fields.

This 45th Anniversary year also finds

us working actively on our Fundraising

Campaign to complete the construction of

our new Middle School building. Funds from

other programs have been temporarily shift-

ed for this project and we look forward

to community support to meet our goals.

This is the fourth issue of JFK Times

and that is also a reason to celebrate.

Many people have provided us with positive

comments about this publication.

Our thanks go to all of our readers

and those many others who have

contributed to its success.

and Math, allowing for a maximum score of 1600. While some colleges still only consider the critical reading and math scores, many col-leges are now requesting all three sections. In order to correctly match your individual scores to a particular college, it is important to verify if the college is reporting on a 1,600 or a 2,400 base.

Over two million students worldwide take this test every year. Statistics show that students who take the most challenging high

The higher your SAT

scores, the higher your

chances are of getting

into the schools of

your choice

Mirtha StappungM.Ed., MA

GENERAL DIRECTOR

___

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____ // \___ ,/

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|_______|__|_// ;:; /

_L_____________\o ;;;/

____(CCCCCCCCCCCCCC)__________

__-/_______

4 5

school courses, specifically honors or ib, score the highest on the sat. Students who prepare for the sat and/or take the psat (sat practice test) also score higher. At the jfk we give our students a head start by having them take the psat in grade 10. We also offer sat preparation as an elective course. This helps our students get ready for the sat test which they take in December of their senior year.

The tricky part for the students is to under-stand what score will help them get into what school. As a rule of thumb, a score of 1,300 to 1,600 will place you in the range of a good col-lege, a score of 1,700 or above will place you in the range of a selective college, and anything over 2000 will place you in the range of an Ivy

League or highly selective college. In Mexico, most universities use a version

in Spanish of the sat known as the paa (Prue-ba de Aptitud Académica). It measures Critical Reading and Math, and the maximum score achievable is 1,600. Most prestigious schools in Mexico require, as a minimum, between 1000 and 1,350, depending on the school and/or the program.

In a nutshell, the sat is important because it is a key element in the decision making of admissions officers. sat is not the only factor taken into account for college admissions, but it does weigh heavily. The higher your sat scores, the higher your chances are of getting into the schools of your choice.

As a rule of thumb, a score of 1,300 to 1,600 will place you in the range of a good college

CRITICAL READING

MATH WRITING

550

500

450

400

350

300

250

200 2008

AverageSAT Scores

JFKMexican AmericanHispanicOverall

CRITICAL READING

MATH WRITING

800

700

600

500

400

300

200 JFK

SAT High Scores

20082009JFK students are

placing at or above the overall world average and above the Mexican Ameri-can and Hispanic populations (which are the ethnic/racial groups with which they are placed)

CRITICAL READING

MATH WRITING2009

AverageSAT Scores

550

500

450

400

350

300

250

200

JFKMexican AmericanHispanicOverall

The highest JFK SAT score in 2009 was 2210. This student is attending Stanford.

The highest JFK SAT score in 2008 was 2270. This student is attending Dartmouth.

6 7

THE JFK SPIRIT

BuildingNew Families PicnicThe celebration began by welcoming new Mex-ican and foreign families that have become part of our community. We organized a picnic that combined fun, integration, and the tasting of different foods prepared by the families. A huge cake was cut for the occasion and we sang the Mañanitas (Happy Birthday) song. We celebrated 45 years of professionalism, dedica-tion, and affection of the hundreds of people that have contributed to JFK’s success.

Community

Ground Breaking CeremonyThe new Middle School building is being built during this school year. A Ground Breaking Ceremony was held in order to begin construc-tion of the building. JFK authorities shared the importance of this project with students. It is an ambitious project that will have a satisfac-tory conclusion as to time and form thanks to your support.

Book FairOne of the objectives of this school year is to boost our student’s joy of reading.

This year the JFK Book Fair offered students a wide variety of books from different editori-als. Several activities were incorporated to the Book Fair for the first time such as: reading workshops, a library on wheels, the participa-tion of a storyteller, the presentation of the Separata magazine, and the presentation of the latest book written by the City Chronicler. We hope that this event will continue and that it will contribute to boost family integration through the good company of books.

The JFK Spirit By: Karla Ríos

Our Anniversary festivities have already begun. They have a special focus on our academic program. We are a great community and we will keep celebrating throughout the school year. Visit our website www.jfk.edu.mx where you will find photos and a calendar of events for the rest of the school year.

Following is a summary of events that have already taken place:

September 15Cultural diversity is one of JFK’s characteris-tics. One part of the anniversary celebration is to share our traditions with international families. Our special guests witnessed a color-ful parade and an emotional ceremony.

Jaguar DayJaguar Day is the event with which sports ac-tivities begin at JFK. It is an event in which all students and teachers get together in a festive, respectful, and fun environment that is full of camaraderie. This year was special because a plaque was unveiled. Every year the names of the most outstanding sports students will be recorded on this plaque. Alumni were present at this event. A commemorative video was shown and trophies and exhibits were displayed which helped us re-member the history of JFK in sports. It was a very emotional event. Go Jaguars!

8 9

The National Hispanic Institute (NHI) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the future leadership needs of the global Hispanic community. It is associated with a well-known consortium of notable col-leges and universities and works to recognize the talent of Hispanic and Latino youth and the potential they represent to the future of the Hispanic/Latino community and extended sectors of the American and global society. Based on this philosophy, NHI develops and conducts leadership experiences through which students may become intellectually, culturally, and socially engaged in the life of their communities. They invite highly qualified students with leadership potential to attend summer sessions and twenty-eight of our students received scholarships for work in the United States this last summer. Marijó López Aguayo was honored with an invitation to join and reports on her experiences.

You might wonder, what is NHI?, well I asked myself that exact question one year ago when we received a letter saying we were nominat-ed by the school to be part of that wonderful experience. The process was a little anxious at first, the feeling of not knowing if we got accepted or not was frustrating but once the envelope with the acceptance arrived every-thing changed.

I personally attended the National LDZ program in Chicago where I met a lot of new people and made some amazing friendships. At first, I have to admit that we were kind of lost, but as the program proceeded we enjoyed it each time more, but also had more things to do and to work on. The program is basically a small representation of the US Governmental System, where we had a Presi-dent (who is actually a student from JFK), a Vice-President, Justices, Attorneys, Senators and the House of Commons.

First, we divided ourselves and created our own parties, which wasn’t easy since we had to integrate everyone’s ideas into 2 different political parties, decide who was actually run-ning for president and vice president from

OurStudents

THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY

JFK Students Join the National Hispanic Institute (NHI)

My NHI ExperienceMarijó López Aguayo a JFK twelve grade student

our own party and start political campaigns as well as have elections. We did the same pro-cess not only for President and Vice- president, but also for justices, attorneys and senators.

Once the elections were over and all the necessary posts were filled we were ready to start working in our individual proposals to improve the Latino Community in many dif-ferent aspects. These proposals went through the whole process of acceptance as it would in reality, being approved by all the houses and by the president.

Every house had a lot of work to do and I have to tell, it wasn’t easy. We woke up at 5:30 a.m. because we had to be ready to start exer-cising at 5:50 a.m. After tha, we rushed back to the dorms to get ready because we always had to wear formal clothes, so take a shower,

Basically we not only

made unbreak-

able bonds with amaz-ing friends

... We learned

how to complete

a good job no matter

what the circum-stances.

The program is basically a small represen-tation of the US Govern-mental System.

choose your outfit, do your makeup and run in heels to the cafeteria in the opposite side of the campus and all before 8:00 a.m. It was defi-nitely hard work, but somehow we managed to go through all of that and still work with our houses non-stop until 10:00 p.m sometimes even midnight.

Basically we not only made unbreakable bonds with amazing friends, but we also learned how to work under pressure, execute a good job no matter the circumstances, different ways to help our community and make it pros-per in the future, integrate everyone’s believes, get ready in speedy time and run in high-heels. It was in fact one of the most amazing experi-ences in my life and I would definitely do it again and recommend it to every Latino in the world.

10 11

A FOCUS ON OUR STAFF

TeachersSTAFF CORNER&

It seems like yesterday when I came to meet you for the first time (1985), I never imagined that I was coming to stay, to discover who I was and what I was capable of doing, to learn and keep learning in this path to teaching that I had barely walked on because I had practically just graduated; but more importantly I found my second home.

It was always very clear to me that I wanted to be a teacher, but when I met you dear John F. Kennedy School I could not help thinking “I belong here”, I had really found what I had been looking for.

Here among your patios, classrooms and walls I have grown with you, I have matured, I have come to be who I am. In this place I feel fulfilled and as I said before, it is here that I feel at home because many years ago you stopped being my workplace to become an extension of my vital space, of my being.

I have lived all kinds of things together with you, the lights and shadows that life offers but I have always felt that warm and protective embrace that comforts, that heals, and that pushes you to keep on going… I always remem-ber all my dear students throughout the years that have allowed me to accompany them for a little while in that endless path that is their education.

I feel privileged and very fortunate for having this opportunity, the truth is that I don’t have words to render thanks for all that you have given me, my dear School; so now that you celebrate 45 glorious years I congratulate you with all the love that I am capable of giving and I hope that you will celebrate many, many more birthdays.

Sincerely,

Flor de María Rosas Gonzálezelementary school teacher

It was always very clear to me that I wanted to be a teacher, but when I met you dear John F. Kennedy School I could not help thinking “I belong here”

12 13

Congratulations Jfk On Your 45th Anniversary!

A Great Institution

This is not only our School; it is the School where my son studied. JFK participated in his education of which today, as a mother, I feel very proud. For me JFK is a school for life, I have grown here and I have become a strong person in many aspects. JFK is a space that is full of life and opportunities, of diverse people from which I have learned many things. It is an honor for me to have JFK as my second home. Keeping our history in mind, JFK has always welcomed new ideas which over time strength-en our valuable educational project. Congratu-lations to all of us who today form part of such a valuable team and especially to those that in these 45 years have added their part, through compromise and valuable vocation, to have the JFK that we enjoy today!

Miss Luzasocial service

Hello, I am very pleased to work at this school

because it has been an important part of my

life. JFK turns 45 and I have the pleasure of

having been here for almost 10 years, this has

helped me get to know the system very well

and to work at ease to achieve JFK’s objectives.

Thank you for allowing me to continue to col-

laborate with this great institution!

Grace Ugalde

administration

For me JFK is a school for life, I have grown here and I have be-come a strong person in many aspects.

“Proyectar y Construir con Excelencia”““Proyectar y Construir con ExcelenciaProyectar y Construir con Excelencia””

Escuela JFK Escuela JFKCasa Club

El Campanario

Kaeser Compresores

Casa Club El Campanario

Puente“Coyotillos”

www.indusa.com.mx Contacto: (442) 215.37.65 y 215.41.18 indusa@att.net.mx

INGENIERÍA Y DISEÑO URBANO S.A. DE C.V.

Construye el nuevo Edificio de Middle School contribuyendo con la escuela John F. Kennedy en el futuro de sus alumnos

14 15

WHAT ARE WE UP TO?

On The MoveJFK

This September found us celebrating with a ground breaking ceremony inaugurating con-struction of our new Middle School building. Students, Board and Assembly members, and many others, helped to launch the project.

Construction is now well underway. We need your help and support by joining us in our Capital Campaign. This campaign addresses important building project needs around the campus. The campaign includes three projects. Project “A” is the construction of the Middle School building. Funds assigned to other scheduled building projects have been allocat-ed to this much needed construction. Our task as a community is to reimburse this fund to the amount of $34,000,000.00 pesos. We can then move on to Project “B”, which is a renovation of our Elementary School section. After comple-tion of Project “B”, Project “C” will be construc-tion of a new Administration Building housing all support services under one roof – with easy access for families.

Capital Campaign 2009 –2014

It takes a community eff ort to ensure the very best for our students

We begin our Capital Campaign with a focus upon funding our fi rst project to construct our Middle School.

There are many diff erent ways to support the construction of the Middle School building. We will be pleased to work with prospective donors in determining how they may wish to make a gift.

“Building our Future Together”

PROJECT A

Gifts in CashThe success as a community depends not only on the amount of money given but also on the number of donors–alumni, parents and friends–who participate. Every person and every donation counts!

Gifts in KindIf you have access to any of the following materials that you might be willing to donate or to provide with a signifi cant discount, please contact us.

Tax-deductible receipts for gifts both in Mexico and the United States may be given upon request by the donor

Our great achievements over the past forty-fi ve years are the result of teamwork. Team-work has helped in the past and we know that the community will continue to step forward to help in this shared eff ort. Just like each grain of sand comes together to make a beach, each of our contributions will help us to reach our Capital Campaign goals.

If you are interested in making a donation, please call the Offi ce of Institutional Advancement T. 442 218 0075 Ext. 1006 or email Mónica Duarte mduarte@jfk .edu.mx

16 17

TRADITIONAL

$ 10,000

SILVER

$ 15,000

GOLD

$ 25,000

PLATINUM

$ 35,000

PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR OUR MODEL OF EDUCATION

SPORTSNew Sponsorship ProgramThe JFK Athletic Program is a very important element of our educational process. It con-tributes to the physical, social, emotional and academic well being of our students. It offers multiple opportunities to support character development, self control, teamwork and a healthy lifestyle.

Arturo Bustamante, Director of our Inte-grated Physical Development Program and his team of Coaches, are committed to our students and to sports. They began a sponsor-ship program eight years ago. Throughout

SPONSOR CATEGORY

the years, a number of parents and companies have participated as sponsors of the soccer teams in different categories.

Today, JFK has several teams including soc-cer, basketball, volleyball, track and field, Tae Kwon Do, and cheerleading. We have designed a new sponsorship program.

Becoming a sponsor of a JFK sports team, provides a great opportunity to support your child, to live the JFK mission, and to have the opportunity to promote your company among the JFK community.

The JFK Athletic

Program... contributes

to the physi-cal, social, emotional

and aca-demic well

being of our students.

For additional information contact:

Prof. Raymundo Hernández T. (442) 218 0075 Ext. 1201 Email: rhernandez@jfk.edu.mx

Berenice Ledesma T. (442) 218 0075 Ext. 1006 Email: bledesma@jfk.edu.mx

More than 1400 students participate in sports activities in the ` mornings and afternoons.

Students range in age from 4 to 18. `

12 sports events are held during the school year. `

Tournaments are held in each section at JFK. `

League tournaments are held with LIDEIP private schools. `

A ` somex (Association of American Schools) tournaments are held with other American schools.

SPONSORSHIP FACTS

18 19

His-to-ry of Giv-ing at JFK

This year, our 45th anniversary, provides a great opportunity for us to remember our past, as we plan for our future. Our community values the special and unique nature of the school and works to support, through tuition and personal donations, efforts to maintain the school and its programs; they help us look to the future with optimism.

The school was founded in 1964 by a group of businessmen, established in the Queretaro area, to serve the children of company person-nel by offering them a bilingual education. These local and international businessmen had the vision, initiative and generosity of spirit to start this great educational project. They con-tinued supporting the school as it struggled to survive and grow. When materials, funds and equipment were needed, donations were received from the community. This spirit of support has been maintained throughout the years and we want to continue this tradition.

Local businesses and generous individuals have always seen the importance of the school and have given tremendous support. Tuitions and inscription fees alone would never have been able to build this school from its humble beginnings with thirty-two students to the school we have today with a student popula-tion of fourteen hundred. Our graduates attend the most prestigious colleges and universities both here in Mexico and around the world. All efforts of the founders of this school, and those who came after, have had one single focus in mind; support of our students. This continued

support and spirit of collaboration are charac-teristics of the JFK community.

As the institution has matured it has become self-sufficient in daily operation; this is a cause for celebration. However, school enrollment and tuition fees have never covered the total costs of replacement of furnishings, repair of old buildings, and the construction of new facilities. Our school continues to need funds for development and implementation of the Infrastructure Master Plan.

Our history of community support, and the high level of professional services that we offer, have enabled us to become the best education-al option in the region for local and interna-tional families. Our position needs to be main-tained. We are grateful for the help offered to the school and do administer resources in a careful and efficient way in order to optimize their use in the service of our students.

Thanks to generous ongoing support and trust, the school has been able to maintain its commitment to making significant, positive, and lasting contributions to the education of all students who attend. After forty-five years of existence the school has come to deliver a strong program of high quality bicultural education and upholds a commitment to in-novation.

We remember so many examples of this ongoing community participation and honor past efforts. At the same time we encourage our present community to join those past participants with their own support. We must

When materials, funds and equipment were need-ed, dona-tions were received from the commu-nity. This spirit of support has been main-tained throughout the years...

By Mirtha Stappung

FEATURE STORY

20 21

El carácter más innovador de la arquitectura reside en la capacidad de plantear y albergar los cambios en el estilo de vida.

Senda del Amanecer 151 Milenio III Querétaro, Qro. Tel./Fax (442) 294 80 50 contacto@plataforma.com.mx

www. plataforma.com.mx

continue to remember that the education of our children is a shared responsibility that goes beyond the payment of tuition fees. All families, staff and other community members are encouraged to actively participate in an ongoing relationship of mutual support.

Fundraising eff orts for most of the history of the school were informal in nature. When a need arose, various members of committees would take it upon themselves to seek funds or materials for school improvement. An example of this can be found in the construction of the older two-story building. When the school

solicited funds, local business leaders and individuals stepped forward with economic support.

The school has now developed a more formal way of identify-ing, prioritizing and communicating needs through our Institu-tional Development Department. This department works to connect all members of our community to this spirit of mutual support for our stu-dents and the school.

We have clear needs and have defi ned priori-ties for growth. We need our community to become familiar with our planning and share in the responsibilities of future fi nancial cam-paigns.

Our commitment, teamwork and generosity have taken JFK to its present place of respect within the community. Let us all join together to ensure that this wonderful spirit of sup-port is maintained in order to build an even brighter future together.

Fundraising eff orts for most of the history of the school were

informal in nature ... the

school has now developed a

more formal way of identifying,

prioritizing and communicating

needs through our Institutional

Development Department.

22 23

Cover Story

Jaime López

UrquiagaCLASS OF '80 CLASS OF '09

Several months ago I had the opportunity to attend our

graduation ceremony of Class 2009. Students,

directors, parents, teachers and friends shared very

emotional moments.

It was a nice surprise to discover that the parent that was chosen to say a few words to the graduating class – to which his son belongs – is an alumni who was also President of the Board of Directors from 2002 – 2004 and is a current member of the School Assembly.

Jaime Alberto

López Buenrostro

By Mónica Duarte, Editor

JFK is like Jaime

JFK is like Jaime

Alberto JFK is like Alberto a second López a second López

Buenrostroa second Buenrostrohome to me. CLASS OF '09home to me. CLASS OF '09

Buenrostrohome to me.

Buenrostrohome to me.

I studied here from K1 here from K1 to 12th grade, to 12th grade,

just like many of my

friends...

A lot of Jaime A lot of Jaime wonderful Jaime wonderful Jaime López wonderful López

memories Urquiagamemories Urquiagacome to mind come to mind CLASS OF '80come to mind CLASS OF '80

when I think back to my times as a

JFK student. Childhood

friends...

24 25

Lic. Jaime López Urquiaga ’80 (JLU), and his son Jaime Alberto López Buenrostro ’09 (JAL), agreed to sit down together and participate in this interview.

What memories of JFK can you share?JLU JFK has been a part of my life since it was founded until now. I say since it was founded because my father worked at tremec for many years. tremec is a company that practically founded the School and backed it for many years.

A lot of wonderful memories come to mind when I think back to my times as a JFK stu-dent. Childhood friends, the school in its first years with much simpler facilities than it has now. Going all the way from the Alamos neigh-borhood to Jurica was an adventure in itself. I am referring to 1968 or 1969. School transpor-tation was a lot of fun for everybody who rode the bus. It was like a field trip every day.

Once I got married I moved to Jurica with my wife and we practically lived right in front of the school. JFK was part of our daily life and, in a way, it continues to be so.

How have you maintained your ties to JFK?JLU Over time, I have had the opportunity to participate and contribute in different ways: as a parent interested in the school environment of my children; as a member of the Assembly, committed to the mission and vision of the School; as President of the Board of Directors (2002–2004) assuming the responsibilities and commitments inherent to such a position.

The truth is that I have a lot of ties to JFK as well as a lot of reasons to be proud. It has been very satisfying to watch my children’s path through the school.

Jaime Alberto, you just graduated – what does JFK mean to you?JAL JFK is like a second home to me. I stud-ied here from K1 to grade 12, just like many of

Going all the way from the Alamos neighborhood to Jurica was an adventure in itself. I am referring to 1968 or 1969.

...a source of great satisfaction is that my children have always been happy to go to school, just like me when I was a student.

my friends. We shared a lot of experiences and practically grew up together. I don’t think that this happens so easily at most other schools.

Something very important to me is that JFK teaches you to be a person with values, and ethics. There was always someone to provide support at JFK. If you had a problem you could always go to the teachers.

The School provides a lot of support related to values. At JFK I learned to trust myself.

Now that you are a university student, Jaime Alberto, what is your impression of the aca-demic preparation that you received at JFK?JAL JFK prepares its students at high aca-demic levels and it also teaches them to be well rounded human beings with values, who can achieve success in different aspects of life. I feel very well prepared in many aspects. I did

not have to present an entrance examination to Tec de Monterrey and I was able to waive one whole semester of studies because I took the IB Program (International Baccalaureate). JLU Taking the IB Program at JFK is well worth it. I invite all parents to learn more about the program and to motivate your chil-dren to take it. The academic and economic benefits are very important once your children go to University.

What do you consider to be top strengths that differentiate JFK from other schools?JAL One main differentiator is that JFK is a bicultural school. It is very enriching to

get along with students and teachers from different parts of the world. I have noticed that when I travel it is very easy for me to relate to people of other nationalities – this is due to the contact that I had at JFK with people from diverse nationalities.

I would like to add that when my family lived in San Antonio, Texas, I was placed at a higher grade because of the academic level that I had at JFK.

JLU I consider that English is also a strength. From a very young age, students study under native teachers and this facilitates their language acquisition. I have had the opportu-nity to work in the United States and both the preparation that I received at JFK, and master-ing the English language, have been important factors.

Something that has always been a source of great satisfaction is that my children have always been happy to go to school, just like me when I was a student. This is a reflection of a good environment and an adequate activities program. I think that there are a lot of things that make JFK a special school.

What does it mean to you to both have lived the JFK experience?JLU It is a shared success and we both have very fond memories.

JFK is a community that is very close to us and forms part of our life.

We have made great friends at JFK.JAL Something very interesting and wonder-ful is that my father gave speeches at both my Elementary and High School graduation

Damon Dickinson, Jaime López, Pepe Ávila, Manuel Herrera, Armando P. Arroyo, Timmy Lee

26 2727

I applied to seven

universities and was accepted at

six of them.ceremonies. My father gave his speech as the President of the Board of Directors at my Elementary graduation ceremony. He did not give a speech at my Middle School gradua-tion ceremony because we lived in San Anto-nio at the time. When I graduated from High School my father was invited as a special guest speaker.

Can you share something about your link to TREMEC and the role of this important com-pany in the origins of JFK?JLU With tremec we go back even one more generation. My father, Jaime Alberto’s grandfa-ther, worked at tremec for many years. This is the reason why fi rst came to live to Querétaro. He also formed part of the JFK’s Board of Di-rectors. We have been very close to the school for three generations and I hope that the tradi-tion will continue.

Tremecis the company that helped JFK and provided resources for its foundation. Many of tremec’s employees were foreigners and they needed a bicultural school for their children. tremec will always hold a unique and very special place in the history of JFK.

What do you consider to be your greatest contribution to JFK?JLU It is hard to defi ne this but my greatest contribution is probably related to my pro-fession. I am a Systems Engineer and I have always pushed for investment in technology, especially during the time that I was President of the Board of Directors. I tried to create an

annual budget assigned to investment in tech-nology. This technology budget is something that still exists. I was there when computers were fi rst brought to the classrooms. I also par-ticipated in the conception of the Media Center – a space with technology and resources that is focused on education.

I must mention that when I was President of the Board of Directors, Alfonso Lajud, the past Director of the JFK, informed us that he had

a job off er that he could not refuse; so we had the enormous responsibility of choosing the person that would replace him as the new Director of the school.

In the process of choosing a new General Director, we interviewed directors of several important schools in Mexico City. We always saw Mirtha Stappung as the best option. After thinking about it for a few days, she accepted the position. This was one of the best and most satisfactory decisions that we made. Mirtha is a great leader and has done an extraordinary job. JFK is now celebrating its 45th year and is a very solid institution that is populated by people who are very committed, hard working and happy. This has been achieved through

hard work and is a reason for all of us that form part of the JFK community to be very proud of it.

Jaime Alberto, how does JFK integrate technology with the educational process?JAL I went through JFK’s transition of switch-ing from blackboards to using projectors inside the classrooms and to having classes with power point presentations – this made the classes much more eff ective. After that we got plasma screens connected to computers which allowed more interactivity. Nowadays, technology is a fundamental tool in education. There will always be more to be done because the development of new systems and computer equipment advances very quickly.

How did you choose your fi eld of study and university?JAL I would like to share that many of the students in my graduating class applied to, and were accepted by, the best universities in Mexico and around the world. I applied to seven universities and was accepted at six of them. I decided to study Electronic Technolo-gies Engineering at Tecnológico de Monterrey (itesm).

I have always liked gadgets and everything related to technology. I like to imagine what life will be like in the future. I would like to make my contribution to society with an inven-tion or project related to technology that in some way could improve people’s quality of life.

JFK is a community that is very close to us and forms part of our life.

The work experiences that my father shared with me were a constant guide and I came to realize just how much I enjoyed technology.

What do you think of current technology use in the lives of young people? Is it excessive?JAL What a coincidence that you should ask that. One of the questions in my English IB essay was related to this subject. Technology can immediately connect you to people all around the world and at the same time it can also isolate and distance you from those people that are physically close to you. It is important to fi nd equilibrium. I see many more positive aspects to technology than negative aspects. Any idea that you have can be shared with people in any part of the world.

As alumni, how would you like to continue to contribute to JFK?JLU I would like to support JFK initiatives. Mónica, since you have come to the school you have made a great eff ort to put alumni in touch with each other and that is very important.

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I was there when computers were

fi rst brought to the classrooms. I also

participated in the conception of the

Media Center

The truth is that I believe we can pull more people into being involved in this community in a more active way – a lot of people are there but they do not participate in the way that we would like them to. Perhaps they have not been told how to participate or they have not been informed or they have not found out. I think that we need to be more proactive in this and ensure that we reach out to unite more people. We have to motivate everybody to become a part of the virtual community and we must try to establish an annual event to meet up. A reunion was held one year ago and it was very nice to see people that I had not seen in a long time; I even saw people that I did not know were JFK alumni because they studied at a diff erent time than I did. We need to get moti-vated and make an eff ort to try to unite alumni and bring them closer to each other. JAL Mr. Adrian Leece, director of High School, had the initiative to start the time cap-sule project. This is something that will bring us together at JFK in fi ve years – but we must propose other ways to be close to the school and to help out.

Do you have anything to say bearing in mind JFK’s 45th Anniversary? JLU JFK is an institution in Querétaro. I hope that it continues like this for many years to come and that it will continue to form the future leaders of this country. Congratula-tions to all the JFK community for this shared achievement!JAL Congratulations! I am thankful for all that JFK gave me, especially for the great friends that I have. I hope that you will continue with the same concept and educational model.

Students interested in studying technology can receive mentoring from the alumni we have interviewed.

Hobbies:Jaime Alberto has a passion for gadgets and electronic games (Nintendo/Playstation type consoles). He plays tennis and is passionate about it.Jaime loves Enology and music. He has even made trips around these themes. Jaime also plays golf and likes soccer.

Lunes a Sábado18:00 a 3:00 hrs

Nuestra carta de bebidasdisminuyó sus precios

RESTAURANTEHACIENDA LA LABORCILLA

Lunes y Domingo13:30 a 17:30hrsMartes a Sábado13:30 a 23:30 hrs

Los domingos contamos con menú para niñosDisfruta ahora de unas ricas botanas

Contamos con pasteles para llevar con 12hrs de anticipación

Jueves a Sábado18:00 a 3:00 hrs

Nuevos DJ’SMúsica para todos los gustos

Prol. Corregidora Norte 911-Bis, Col. Parques Residenciales, Querétaro, Qro., Méxicoreservaciones@lalaborcilla.com Tel. 01 (442) 245 1694 al 97www.lalaborcilla.com

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AlumniCONNECTING WITH ALUMNI

Connecting With Alumni

We continue to take steps towards the imple-mentation of our strategic plan to consolidate our network of JFK Alumni.

To achieve this plan we are working on the following activities:

The publication of the JFK Times MagazineIf you would like to be a part of the Editorial Committee of our magazine, please contact Mónica Duarte at mduarte@jfk.edu.mx. Your collaboration as alumni is welcome.

The alumni Web page http://alumni.jfk.edu.mxThe virtual community is growing. We can reinforce our connections with your help and participation; help us promote the site by invit-ing other alumni that are close to you, to regis-ter at the site and to create their personal page. We will all benefit from forming a network.

JFK on FacebookWe have created a Facebook profile under the name Exalumnos Kennedy Querétaro. Enter and share photos, anecdotes, and memories. This is another tool that we are using to find alumni and form a network.

Providing school tours for alumniYou are always welcome to visit JFK; you will remember good times while you walk through the campus and you will be able to greet those who may have been your teachers and who continue their caring educational work.

Inviting local alumni to become part of special alumni sports teams We would like to create alumni soccer, basket-ball, and volleyball teams. If you play any of these sports and would like to participate in this project, please contact Arturo Bustamante, Director of our Athletic Department, or email abustamante@jfk.edu.mx

Organizing class reunionsWe are looking for representatives to organize class reunions at JFK. Register and be the leader of your class reunion! For more informa-tion contact us at alumni@jfk.edu.mx

JFK 45th AnniversaryIn March 2010, there will be a Community-wide Picnic as well as Alumni Reunions so that we can celebrate JFK’s 45th Anniversary together. Look for your upcoming invita-tion and we hope that you will join us on this memorable day!

By Mónica Duarte & Valeria Fagiolani

JFK… Remembering Our Past – Building Our Future Together

32 33

WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW?

Class Notes

‘78HS

Mike Menegus I have a lot of fond memories of JFK back in the day. It's hard to put them into context so that your current readers understand how spe-cial those days were. Back then I didn't really appreciate what we had by being the exception, how small the classroom size was. We almost had private tutoring. Our largest class had ap-proximately 9 students and I believe that was Science. The average classroom size was 3 to 4 students. I had always struggled with learn-ing at other American Schools but at JFK the almost personal class size allowed each and every one of us to learn. It's amazing that we all liked each other and hung out together every day. We all learned how to drive at right around the same time and in Jurica. It was all cobble-stones so there was no speeding on the streets unless you wanted a new kidney. We all got in trouble together when we skipped school one day and only one day.

I have a lot of good memories and will re-live them again when the old gang gets together again. So far, I have made contact with Debbie.

Thank you and I wish you and JFK continued success.

Best Regards.

‘92HS

Carlos Gabriel Medina Gaytán Hi there. It’s lovely to hear from you. I have many many anecdotes of things that happened at JFK. I have lots of photos and yearbooks from when I was in Pre-School. I even keptmy JFK sweater! It's an honor to lend you my stuff and enrich the amazing upcoming alumni event.

‘?HS

Page Willson I remember when my Coach tied my shoelaces, right before the State of Guanajuato track race. It made a BIG diff erence. I won the race and be-came the State champion in High Jump in 1970.

‘?HS

alda MercadoI don’t have any specifi c anecdote to tell, I just want to say that JFK was the most incredible school that I ever attended. I have the best memories of it and of most of the teachers, es-pecially of the Elementary teachers. I will never forget Miss Emma, Miss Susy, Miss Maricela, Miss Weinstein, Miss Cris, Miss Paty (the music teacher)… Now that I am a Mom, I know how complicated our children’s education can get and I am very grateful to my parents for the vision they had and the great eff ort they made when they enrolled us at this school which is defi nitely the best! There is a reason why JFK is celebrating 45 years! Congratulations!

‘04HS

Mariana FernándezI love this school for the simple fact that my best time was when I was there. The combi-nation of education and entertainment was perfect. Congratulations for these 45 years.

Mike's JFK newsletter

34 35

‘85Middle School GraduationUpper row: Manuel Sánchez–Lara, Andrés Ibar-ra, Ana Cecilia Guerrero, Juan Carlos Martínez, Polla Torreslanda, Enrique Borbolla, Erika.Lower row: Maribel Carrera, Beatriz González, Ana Laura Castellanos, Jessica Pagola, Lorena Govela.Front row : Víctor GómezSent by Beatriz González

‘89

Reunion August 2009Manuel Crespo, Adriana Moreno, Juan Castillo, Hans Frei y Carlos Gabriel Medina Gaytán.

Miss Carol BradyMiss Carol Brady, who once worked In the school, pays us a visit.Photograph with Pilar González, alumni and now JFK teacher.

Jesús LedezmaPast Director of our JFK Elementary visited the school.

‘01

VisitRodrigo Ruiz de Teresa visited the school

‘05

ReunionWalter Castellanos, Diana Estrada, Tony Her-rera, Roberto García y Bianca Rentería.Sent by Tony Herrera.

‘85

Miss Carol BradyMiss Carol Brady, who once worked In the school, pays us a visit.Photograph with Pilar González, alumni and now JFK teacher.

‘85‘85

‘89

Jesús Ledezma

‘05

REUNIONS & SNAPSHOTS

‘01

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