1

OurCommitment

with Earth

Knows no

Boundaries

Feature Story

JOHN F. KENNEDY · THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF QUERÉTARO

2

vision To facilitate the balanced

development of our students; with commitment and respect for the local community and

a multicultural world.

Mirtha Stappung M.Ed., MA General Director

Debra Cortney MA Pre–school PrinciPal

Mark Dunn M.Ed., MA elementary school PrinciPal

Tara Fitzgerald Ed. Admin., MS miDDle school PrinciPal

Adrian Leece MA, BSc, FRMtS hiGh school PrinciPal

Arturo Bustamante athletic DePartment Director

Dra. Josefina Morgan Financial Director

Jeffrey Lewis oPerations anD services Director

Lic. Roberto Loyola Vera, Ing. Ángel de Lope Friedeberg, Lic. María Antonieta Cuellar

Minguet, C.P. Benito Adolfo Tagle Jiménez, Arq. Matthew Schmidt Covo, Dr. Raúl Gerardo

Paredes Guerrero, Lic. Luz Ma. Aguirre Schoelman

BoarD oF Directors

Lic. Mónica Duarte BalcárceleDitor in chieF anD

chair oF the eDitorial BoarD

Andrea Mier, Francelia C. Avila, Laura Davis, Julia Prats, Mónica Serrano, Mónica Duarte,

Luza Arredondo, Karla Ríos, Vanessa Aguilera, Gabriela Castellanos, Luz Calzada, Editorial

Committee. writers

Leonor Cortina ProoFreaDinG anD translation

Héctor Muñoz · sextosentido DesiGn

Karla Ríos, Víctor Ortega, Asbed Levi, Luza Arredondo, Verónica Díaz, Schmidt Family, Vanessa Aguilera, Gabriela Castellanos, Luz

Calzada, José Guerrero PhotoGraPhy

Asbed Levi · sextosentido cover Photo

alumni contact Mónica Duarte

mduarte@jfk .edu.mxaDvertisinG sales

Rocío Ramírez Tel. (442) 218 0075 ext. 1010

rramírez@jfk.edu.mx

SPRING 2011

vol. 1 no. 8 · nov 2011

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101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233

Letter from The General Director

JAGUAR'S

Day

A CELEBRATION

OF OUR

JAGUAR’S

SPIRIT Our

Commitment

with Earth

Knows no

Boundaries

Feature Story

AndreaLobato

CLASS OF

2005

ELOQUENTIAE POTESTATE, QUIA SICUT PRUDENTIA SPECTAT

La elocuencia es poder, porque VISTE DE PRUDENCIA

cover story

REUNIONS & SNAPSHOTS

Melissa Méndez Vallejo Vanessa AguileraJFK's Time Capsules

Have something to say

3

Mirtha StappungM.Ed., MA

General Director

Times Message from our General Director

®

We have a great school community! One indicator of that was found in a report from our international quality assurance team, SACS AdvancED, who visited the campus last year. Their evaluation is important in our efforts to maintain international recog-nition as a quality school.

One often mentioned comment of that vis-iting team, was about the great school spirit that prevails among students, teachers, staff and parents. They perceived the strong sense of belonging and pride found in each one of the members of our community.

As you look through this magazine you too will sense the pride and the enthusiasm that is such an important part of our daily life. Frequent comments from our many generations of alumni also express their continued feelings of school spirit and their memories of this school as a fantastic place to be. We are sure that you will enjoy the following pages with their stories, inter-views, anecdotes and much more!

GREAT SCHOOLS ARE MADE OF GREAT PEOPLE…

As you look through this magazine you too will

sense the pride and the enthusiasm that is such

an important part of our daily life.

4 5

Students in PandemiaFausto thinks that students from the band are really motivated and committed, he believes they have a lot of musical culture, some of it given at home. Students seem more interested than ever in taking up music, “I hope the music IB is opened for next year” said Fausto. Previously we only had two concerts per year, but since 2010 the number of concerts has been increasing, “there

are more students with a lot of talent and a need to express themselves through music, and their peers want to see more and enjoy hearing and watching the band play, the community itself is asking for it” added Fausto. Besides the scheduled concerts, Pandemia has a final project: to play Me-tropolis 1, a song by Dream Theatre “It´s almost classical; at Beethoven’s level. It´s going to be a challenge” finalized Fausto Cerda.

The key to the success of the music program lies in the talented and motivated students that

A t the JFK High School, many talented students are making their

mark in music. Pandemia, the high school band, had to be divided because of the growing interest and talent of students, as well as the interest in different music styles. The first division is a rock band, and the second plays more romantic songs, it has Matthew Dean’s support, the new economics teacher and a good musician according to Fausto Cerda, the music teacher.

OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS BY OUR FACULTY OR STUDENTS

“There are more students with a lot of talent and a need to express themselves through music, and their peers

want to see more and enjoy hearing and watching the band play, the community itself is asking for it”

By Andrea Mier 11th grade student

dedicate many hours to practice. It would be impossible to write about each one of the gifted students in the school because there are so many, so we will present you four bright students and skilled musicians. Three of them are in the school band, Pandemia, and all of them have something in common: their passion for music.

The ComposerPaulina Pedraza is a tenth grader who was recently accepted to a two-week summer course at the prestigious Juilliard School of Arts in New York after sending part of her work and being selected. She composes her own music based on her feelings and what she wants to express, “It is like therapy” says Paulina. Her interest in music, especially playing the piano, started at a very young age when her grandma used to play it for her. Although she is used to hearing clas-

sical music since she was little, she plays a bit of everything “I composed three songs of three and a half minutes that are a mixture of classical and contemporary music” added. Music is a big part of Paulina´s life and even though she wants to study interior design right now, the music option hasn´t been discarded.

6 7

Francelia C. Avila 12th grade

THE JFK SPIRIT

When I was about to enter 11th grade, one of the things I was most worried about was the social service requirement I would have to meet as part of the IB Diploma Program. Having always been a person who considers time a precious commodity, I was concerned that sharing a few hours of my afternoon to help others would prevent me from focusing on my studies and classes. However, soon after starting my social service project I realized it was the opposite; being selfish and not giving part of my time to help my community would prevent me from achieving complete academic excellence.

I have always believed that we don’t just learn for school, but for life. I am proud to say that this ideology is also part of the mission of our school, and that’s why JFK constantly offers us the opportunity to get involved in projects which allow us to use the tools acquired within the classroom to build a better world. Begin-ning in kindergarten, we are able to experi-ence the great satisfaction that helping others brings and this commitment to our community contin-ues to be reinforced through all sections of the school. The participation in social service activities makes us

The DrummerRoberto Escoto is a drummer who also plays the guitar. “They are two different worlds, the guitar and the drums, so I can’t say I would prefer one over the other because they are both so opposite and unique. So basically, they are both my favorite instruments to play”, commented Roberto. He started playing the drums when he was in fifth grade and keeps doing it now with great fasci-nation. His favorite music genres are jazz and progressive, even though he´s in tenth grade, he already knows that he will study either music interpretation or composition.

The GuitaristTwo other talented students are graduating at the end of the school year, however they will be remembered in the school as the great musicians they are. One of them is Diego Hinojosa, a skilled guitar player. He has been playing the guitar for five years and has no intention of stopping, “I started playing the bass, but changed to the guitar because I thought I could do more sounds with it”, said Diego, having that level of mastery requires a lot of practice. Diego is still taking lessons and practices between three to four hours every day, although he would like to practice more. He also plays the saxophone, though he prefers and focuses more on the guitar. Being a twelfth grader automatically means to start thinking about ca-reers and colleges and Diego has already chosen what he wants to do: compose and play jazz, his preferred genre. He is considering studying at UC Berkeley.

The SingerThe second student is Pamela Castellanos, a singer who was inspired by the movie The Titanic, “the thing that started it all” as she use to call it. Although her family went to the medicine direction, she went to the music one. She does not play any instrument, but would like to play the piano and violin. She is still not certain where she wants to study, but already knows what she wants: to study music, singing to be exact, and would like to mix it with modeling and acting.

Music in school has been creating more interest amongst students, teachers, and

directors. “We have clearly been receiving a lot more attention from our peers, and more people around the school you would never think had an interest in music are suddenly joining the music program” said Pamela. The school has been giving them support as well. The music program was just provided with new equipment, like a new Yamaha drum set, an elec-tronic piano, and microphones. There is still more to be done, but so far the music team, students, and teachers, have done a great job. Keep an eye out for the next school concert so you can hear these talented musicians for yourself.

Diego has already

chosen what he wants to

do: compose and play jazz, his

preferred genre. He is considering

studying at UC

Berkeley.

I realized it was the opposite; being selfish and not giving part of my time to help my community would prevent me from achieving complete academic excellence.

-JFK students- feel an innate wish to give a little of what we have, without receiving anything material in return.

During my JFK High School experience, I have been able to participate in several social service activities. These projects have made me reinforce friendship bonds and discover qualities I did not know I had. This year for example, I am an English teacher for the National Institute for the Education of Adults (INEA). Working with these people has made me realize that -contrary to what is believed- many Mexicans drop out of school not because they want to, but because their financial situation forces them to. Further-more, my participation in this project has also allowed me to discover my passion for guiding others in the road of learning.

Giving a little of what I have to help others, has permitted me to live experiences and feel emotions that can’t be described with words. I am grateful that our school pro-vides the opportunity for and encourages us to participate in various social service

activities. Believe me, you will not be disappointed for having contributed to your community and making this world a better place.

8 9

At JFK we believe in driving development of our community as a whole, so we can all benefit from every effort. Community service is

part of our identity as a commit-ted institution. We consider it a generous attitude towards life and not just a mere activity, a valuable

lesson that enriches our life and helps us learn about ourselves and our world. This is why every grade in our school is actively involved in

Teaching Social Responsibility

Habitat for humanityJFK students and par-ents have built close to 40 houses.

Sinanka’y and San Sebastian (Nursing Homes)Students provided services to over 280 senior citizens.

INEAOur students taught basic education and computer skills to 818 adults.

Best BuddiesJFK students worked with over 130 mentally challenged people.

Music ScholarshipFor interested non-JFK students.

Jurica Re-forastation ProgramParents and students plant over 150 trees per year.

School CompostingCreated over 15 tons of soil used on JFK football field and plants on campus.

Dreams comes True Program(Children with cancer) - JFK students assisted over 200 children.

Educational materials JFK students made materials worth $50,000 pesos for two local special needs schools.

Clothing driveOver 6,000 complete sets of clothing, valued at over 1’200,000.00 pesos collected by parents and students.

Food Bank of QuerétaroJFK students have collected food dona-tions valued at $96,812 pesos.

Firehouse Supplies Over $150,000 pesos in supplies collected for three firehouses in Querétaro.

Alzheimer CentersOver 280 people in 3 centers have received visits from our stu-dents.

Annual Toy DriveToys in good condi-tions valued at over $150,000 pesos col-lected by students.

Food Bank of QuerétaroJFK students have collected food dona-tions valued at $96,812 pesos.

Children’s Day CelebrationStudents and parents yearly visit to Jurica’s elementary public school provide food and piña-tas for 350 students and teachers with a value of $248,750 pesos.

SupportFor local public and private schools.

Hogares Providencia (Orphanages)Through our annual collection campaign, we provide over 60 or-phaned children with milk for the entire year.

SOJA, A.C.Plastic Recycling pro-gram – Proceeds sup-port environmental groups in Querétaro.

JFK Recy-cled Alumi-num Cam-paignMoney donated yearly to UAQ Animal Shelter.

projects giving service to communities in need.These are some of the results we have proudly

achieved through our Social Service Programs in the last five years.

JFK Gives Back

10 11

THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY

The Spirit of ServiceAn inspirational person serves as an example for others and drives us to achieve more than what we would on our own. That person plants a seed within each of us that then grows into something unique. When searching for inspiration at JFK, we don’t need to go far. We can find it within our own student body. Four young ladies that I had the opportunity to interview: Montserrat Garza, Valeria Martinez, Clara Montes, and Monica Serrano are truly inspirational. They exemplify the spirit of the IB social service program, CAS, and serve as role models not only for their peers, but for the entire community.

All four students have developed projects that have had a pos-itive impact on the community. Their CAS projects and portfo-lios were so impressive that they were invited to participate in InterCAS, a conference for social service projects. They were sponsored through CAS and traveled all the way to Ecuador to participate in this project.

"The worst mistake you can

make is to do social service

out of pity"

Laura Davis - 10th grade English teacherand Julia Prats – 12th grade

They aren’t doing service for the recog-nition, nor to complete the IB program, nor for the grades. They are doing it because of a deep connection to the feelings of others and a sense of oneness with humanity.

that the children there had lost faith in people and shut themselves off emotionally. They had become closed off and didn’t socialize well. Monsterrat Garza mentioned that the children even had trouble trusting them as volunteers because so many people volunteer once and say they will come back, but never return. The children were very cautious about opening up, even to themselves.

The three girls identified a key issue that seemed to be holding these children back from being whole and happy. Not only did they do that, they also identified the same issues in themselves and really empathized with the young kids. “It’s hard when you’re growing up in a society where you can’t show your emo-tions,” mentioned Valeria. “You repress your emotions and then they build up.” So the girls came up with a way to give these children an outlet. According to Monica, they aren’t help-ing the children, they are giving them the tools to help themselves. The main tool they use is theatre. They use games, acting, and art to con-nect the kids with their own emotions, learn to interact more with others, and gain confidence in their own abilities.

The lasting impact of the Theater Project

The program has had a lot of success. The children’s teacher has noticed that the kids who participate in the project have been more responsive to her and that the students have even been able to relate better to each other. Monserrat and Valeria shared with me stories

of students who opened up to smile for the first time or who started participating in activities with enthusiasm when before they were held back by fear or insecurity.

I think that what is so special about these girls and the projects they are creating is the motivation behind it. They aren’t doing service for the recognition, nor to complete the IB program, nor for the grades. They are doing it because of a deep connection to the feelings of others and a sense of oneness with humanity. “When you get out of your bubble of different realities, in the end it’s just one. We’re human, we are the same,” Valeria affirmed for me. She also added, “the worst mistake you can make is to do social service out of pity.”

When asked to share advice for those who would like to be more active in social service, the girls had plenty. They said that you should open your mind to different perspectives. Peo-ple are afraid of differences. Fear can be your worst enemy or your best teacher. You should open your mind and confront challenges. They said not to be afraid to do something you think might not make a big change. You can even start by just helping a friend with their math homework. All small ideas become something big.

In fact, this ‘small article’ had to become a two-part feature because of all of the inspira-tional words from these young ladies. In the next issue, you will read about Clara Montes, her trip to Ecuador, the Eco-Club, and other students who are making an effort to leave a better world for future generations.

Teaching English at "La Alegría de los Niños"But before that began, the motivation to make an impact started within each one of these students. They all had a desire to make a positive impact and created unique projects to accomplish that. Monica Serrano started teaching English at "La Alegría de los Niños", a foster home for children who have been taken away from their families due to inap-propriate or abusive living conditions. She participated in a section that was dedicated to helping the older children transition to independent living as they were technically too old to live in the foster home. While doing that work, she and Valeria Martinez noticed

13

Mónica Miss Ana Julia, what can you tell us about yourself?Ana Julia I was born in Mexico City. I have two daughters, six grandkids and this year I celebrated my 36th wedding anniversary. 17 years ago we decided to live in Queretaro and we have been very happy. I studied History at the Universidad Iberoamericana, I also have a Masters degree in Educational Leadership and I’ve finished a “Diplomado en Competencias” specialized in High School teachers.

M How long have you been a teacher?A I started teaching in 1974; stopped for several years to become a housewife and mother, and started teaching again in August 2001 at the Ken-nedy. Last year I got the 10th year recognition.

M What made you become a teacher?A Ever since I was a little girl I liked teaching. As a History student my job options were teach-ing or research; I never saw myself all day long in an archive, so when I was in the fifth semester I was offered a teacher position in the Oxford School, it was a great experience and it helped me decide on being a teacher.

Mexican History and Theory of Knowledge teacher.

Miss Ana Julia Flores

A FOCUS ON OUR STAFF

By Mónica Serrano Quintero – 12th B

M What has been your biggest challenge in teaching?A One of my biggest chal-lenges was that first year when my former teachers became my colleagues and my little friends became my students. Another came eleven years ago when I started working at three schools. But every day I face the challenge of making students interested in what happened in the past.

M Have your students taught you something? A I will always be learning from you. You have taught me how to use technology; you have shared with me your knowledge and I have learned attitudes and values from you. Last year a student taught me the value of family solidar-ity. You have also taught me to pursue my goals and dreams; and every day you teach me to see life through the eyes of youth.

M What do you like the most about being a teacher?A I like to be able to share my experiences, to leave a seed of interest in the history of your country. Mexico would be a much better country if we loved it, but we cannot love what we do not know. I like that sparkle in your eyes that means “I am interested” or “I understood” or “I can really apply that to my life”. It makes me feel that I am making a difference.

M What does it mean for you to be a teacher?A I believe that a teacher’s job is to guide students in their personal development, because they are going to be the men and women in whose hands the politics, the economy, the creativity, and why not the teaching of future genera-tions, will be. As teachers in this school we are helping them become citizens of the world.

M Do you think being a teacher means a commitment?A Being a teacher takes great commitment because we are helping students become future Mexican citizens with capital letters, aware of their own identity, that will try to transform Mexico into a united, rich, honest country by fulfilling their responsibilities to make it the great country we should be proud of.

M Would you like to share with us something more?A I thank you for considering me for this interview. I thank God for being able to work in what I really enjoy in an atmosphere of respect and empathy. One of my goals is to share with other teachers what I have learned so I can leave a better world for future generations.

M Thank you very much for you time and your words. Our readers will be glad to get to know you a little better through this interview.

Being a teacher takes great commitment because we are helping students become future Mexican citizens with capital letters.

JAGUAR'S

J A G U A R

ustness displayed in sport and life

loyal friend

enerous

nited for a goal

ppreciative

espectful and disciplined

PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR OUR MODEL OF EDUCATION

SPORTSOn September 30th we cel-

ebrated the official start of our

sports program for the school

year with Jaguar Day, an

event in which students,

teachers and staff, renew

the Jaguar Spirit, remem-

bering that fairness,

discipline, respect and

teamwork strengthen

us every day to be

better people and

prepare us to succeed

in life

It was

a day

full o

f surp

rises;

one of th

em bein

g

the officia

l inau

guration of o

ur new

multip

ur-

pose ath

letic

court…

a res

ult of a

real

team eff

ort.

This new

ball co

urt, which

mee

ts officia

l

spec

ificatio

ns and re

quiremen

ts, w

ill ad

d to our

pride a

s host

to official b

asketb

all an

d volleyball

tournamen

t gam

es, where

we’ll b

e able

to share

these fa

cilitie

s with

athlet

es fro

m other sch

ools;

it will

be used

by studen

ts of a

ll lev

els as

well in

the prac

tice o

f a w

ide ran

ge of a

ctivitie

s.

Inauguration

of the n

ew

multi

purpose

court

Day

A CELEBRATION

OF OUR

JAGUAR’S

SPIRIT

The second surprise of Jag-

uar’s Day was that, for the

first, the whole staff joined

in the celebration sharing

the excitement of feeling

like Jaguars and being part

of the team.

The most powerful state-

ment about the JFK is

that it is truly an inclusive

community. We are a team,

with a clear vision, where

all of us contribute to our

success as an educational

institution. We all support

the educational process in

our own ways. We do not act

alone, but as a group and we

all wear the shirt of the Jag-

uar and that´s why Jaguar’s

Day belongs to all of us.

Everybody

joined in the

celebration

The most p

ow-

erful s

tate

ment

about the J

FK

is th

at it i

s truly

an inclu

sive

comm

unity.

15

16 17

WHAT ARE WE UP TO?

At the beginning of the school year we wit-nessed the great fruits of our Annual Cam-paign; a modern, colorful, multipurpose court will enable our school to host sporting events opening new and important opportunities for our athletes.

It took a lot of work and help to take this project from a wish to a reality. Aside from the traditional events which drive our

Annual Campaign, such as the Kermesse and the Christmas Bazzar, we hosted very success-ful events that will become part of our cher-ished Kennedy traditions.

The Golf Tournament and the JFK Race were the result of an enormous team effort. They both appealed to the whole family –three gen-erations having fun together– and the whole Kennedy community participated to make

Our auditorium represents

the soul of our

school.

It is time to establish a new challenge. Every donation counts.

We have established a $1’000,000.00

pesos goal.

If you wish to make a donation to the Annual Campaign 2011 – 2012,

this is our Deposit Account:

Name Escuela John F. Kennedy A.C.Bank BBVA BancomerCLABE 012680001709099635Account No. 0170909963

The support and commitment of parents, faculty, alumni and friends have made education a reality for thousands

of students. Remember that your gift, no matter how great or small, will make our school stronger for our students.

Renewing our auditoriumThe goal of our 2011-2012 Annual Campaign

By Mónica Duarte • Editor in Chiefthem a smashing success. Now, it is time to establish a new challenge.

The 2011-2012 Annual Campaign has the goal of modernizing a very important space in the Kennedy’s life: our Auditorium. This place sets the stage for our most important events; from sports matches, to alumni reunions, from conferences to theater performances, from concerts to dances and graduations.

Our auditorium truly represents the soul of our school… and we want it to shine more than ever. For this, we have established a $1’000,000.00 pesos goal. To reach it we will

call again upon the 40 companies that have believed in us to sponsor our efforts; the le-gions of volunteers that have made our events a success; our alumni, who are always eager to participate, but most of all, to the generous participation of each and every member of our great community, because every donation, no matter how small, counts. We will keep you posted throughout the year to let you know how we are closing in on the goal.

We count on you to make this new challenge a reality!

If you made a donation or if you need a tax de-ductable receipt, please send the deposit slip to:

Mónica Duarte mduarte@jfk.edu.mx

18

We are proud to inform you that our school will be participating in the GREEN SCHOOL project,

launched by SEP and SEMARNAT to certify schools that sponsor an integral program with the commitment of contributing in a

positive way to the environment.

Green SchoolOur

Commitmentwith Earth Knows no Boundaries

Feature Story

JFK will be a leader in environmental

management

We will work through the school year in 5 directions:1. Environmental Education2. Management of solid residues3. Efficiency of water consumption4. Efficiency of electric consumption5. Community environmental actions

Our school has worked in pro of the environment through our Eco Club. Know we will take this effort one step further by

taking on a challenge that requires high quality environmental education and the

active involvement of students, parents, teachers and staff.

Soon we will let you know the activities, we are planning to reach these goals. If we work together we will receive our certifica-

tion on June 2012.Help us step up to this challenge!

19

The Schmidt del Rio family faces the National Geographic Environmental Challenge Congratulations to Mr. Matthew, Ms. Michele, Lucia and Natalia! With ideas, assertive comments and sugges-tions to improve our non-formal educational practices, our active and committed Kennedy families have already made an important mark in our community. A good example of this is the Schmidt del Rio family which has shown us that making a difference is possible and that it is necessary and urgent for all of us to join in a change of attitude.

By Miss Luza Arredondo and Karla Ríos

What elements in your family history prepared you to adopt such friendly lifestyle to our planet?It has been a more of a gradual awareness. We have been hear-ing about global warming since we were kids, but it is now that we are seeing and experiencing its effects. This is why we chose not to contribute to the problem but to be a small part of a total solution. Earlier this year, National Geographic convened its first environmental challenge to reduce carbon dioxide (http://360energydiet.com/about-the-diet/ ). Nine families from several countries were involved in it, and we were fortunate to represent Mexico. We had “coaches” who advised us every week to optimize resources.

What projects did you carry out in your home?We separate garbage, recycle it at the collection center and make compost for the garden where we plant fruits and vegeta-bles. Also, we do rainwater harvesting, treat water and reuse it in the garden, use solar energy, favor the consumption of local products, and substitute chemical cleaners for natural home-made ones. One day per week we eliminate our consumption of meat, we dry our clothes in the sun rather than in the dryer, and try to use our bikes as much as possible.

Please highlight for us the achievements you have had.They are probably more benefits than achieve-ments. This change in the way we do things has brought us very pleasant results, like sav-ings of gas and time in making rounds to the school and other activities.

What insights have you received from your children?It is funny, but the early adopters of green measures and authority quite naturally are the children. Once we explained to our daughters the importance of not wasting energy and water resources, they became small environ-mental detectives at home.

Do service personnel, family members or guests who come to visit you do the same?The truth is we do not live in a radical way; it is a matter of initial organization and then it be-comes routine. I do not believe that people who come to visit us have to do things in a different way as how they do in their own home.

What would you suggest to our Kennedy community?Do not be afraid to change habits, it is not necessary to sacri-fice any comfort to be able to live "green", you can start with one thing at a time and that change will inevitably lead to another. There is a lot of practical information now a days and tips on the web.

What message would you like to send to Kennedy School teachers?The Kennedy has already traveled a long way on these issues. The new Green School Certification brings endless opportuni-ties for knowledge, environmental awareness and implementa-tion. It's an incredible project which will probably involve and benefit the whole community.

Where to start with the cultural changes to our environment and life on our planet?"Think globally and act locally" is a very wise phrase. We should begin with the simplest, so it is within our means and make a habit of it; for example: stop buying bottles of water, separate our trash, carry our own bags to the supermarket, turn-ing off lights that are not in use , make rounds with our neigh-bors, and so on.

Green School

20 21

OurCommitmentwith Earth Knows no Boundaries

Feature Story

22www.jfkg lf.org

Thanks!U N A G R A D E C I M I E N T O M U Y E S P E C I A L

A T O D O S N U E S T R O S P A T R O C I N A D O R E SD E L 2 º T O R N E O D E G O L F J F K

Noviembre 24, 2011

ThanksgivingGolf Tournament

o4

Jueves

Clu

b

de Golf Juriquilla

22

Food is one of my favorite subjects, because it brings all of my interests together, from grow-ing organic fruit and vegetables at home, to shopping for it, to cooking and sharing it with friends and family.

We started produc-ing our food two years ago. We plant on raised beds built out of the recycled wood planks used in the construction of the house; they have an automatic drip

irrigation system which makes it very easy to grow almost anything.

We are blessed living in Mexico. Everywhere you go you can find a huge array of fresh ingre-dients year-round, and at very low price compared to other countries.

I do my shopping once a week at the main market, “Mer-cado de la Cruz”.

I have to admit that making the right choices isn’t always easy. We cannot get everything we like locally. As for our efforts in diminish-ing our meat intake, well, I don’t think we will be turning vegan any time soon but as I hear more about the benefits of turning to greens, the idea is getting a little more attractive.

Slow FoodAs long as we are talking about food, and our awareness of its source, a huge part of it has been because of Slow Food

http://www.slowfood.org/ We joined a couple of years ago and it’s been

one of our best experiences. This is a descrip-tion from their web site:

We belong to the local chapter in this part of the Country (El Bajío) and we have been able to meet excellent producers of cheese, honey, amaranth, delicious fruit, local bread bakers and many other top quality ingredi-ents and food.

Our friend and coordinator for this area, Ada Solana, organizes field trips where fami-lies and producers spend the day together, and our children get to know real people behind real food. For example, they now know that the milk, cheese and butter we eat come from a ranch and live animals, and not the local supermarket!

We went to Dr. Peraza’s cheese farm in Querétaro — I swear it’s one of the best goat milk cheese I’ve ever tasted.

By Michele Schmidt

“Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.”

This is Lucía and our last fall harvest. We have some young fruit trees that already started bear-ing wonderful avocados, grapefruits, crabapples,

figs, and limes.

Natalia and the magic sun-flower from the garden (she planted them herself!)

OurCommitmentwith Earth Knows no Boundaries

Feature Story

Cuba

Venezuela

Perú

Chile

Argentina

Bolivia Haiti

By Mónica Duarte • Editor in Chief

1 We know you are in Washington, D.C. working for the OAS (Organization on American States), can you tell about

your responsibilities and what you are accomplishing there?I work in the Department of Human Development, Education and Culture of the Organization of American States. I am responsible for all the communications of the Scholarships Office. The OAS has a scholarship program that has been ongoing for more than 50 years. I was brought in last year to help with the communications materials for the 50th anniversary celebra-tion.

AndreaLobato

CLASS OF

2005

Cover Story Brasil

Canadá

Nicaragua

Andrea Lobato talks us about the challenges of working for the OAS in

Washington, D.C., how she got there and what she has

in store for the future.Guatemala

24 25

2726

I then was asked to stay to continue per-

forming other tasks. My daily activities include drafting press releases and announcements to the Missions and Ambassadors, writing reports for the Executive Secretary and the Secretary General, designing promotional materials for the department and webpage and social media updates. Through our media campaign pro-moting our last scholarship program we broke the record for the most applicants received for any OAS scholarships.

2 How did you arrive at this important job?It is a funny story, when we did one

of the SAT exams at the Kennedy I got an invi-tation to go to a summer course in Georgetown University. I attended the Program the summer before 12th grade and they took me to the OAS as one of the tours. It was a beautiful 100 year old building just around the corner from the White House Gardens and they told me that there was an internship program for University students. I kept it in the back of my mind and when I was about to graduate from the Univer-sity I decided to apply. I didn’t tell anyone and a month before I was supposed to start they told me I got it. When my internship was com-ing to an end they offered me a job here.

3 What has been your biggest discovery while working there?

It has been very exciting to be working in such an important organization in another country. I have learned a lot of things and I have dis-covered how important it is to be prepared to deal with all types of people and situations that are out of your control. After high school

I remember a talk

with Miss Ana Julia after

I won Best Delegate at the

Model UN and she told me that

even the longest paths begin

with one small step.

Getting

the internship

was something I

was very proud of

because people apply

form all over the

world and only a

few get it.

and college, where you are evaluated based on your grades, for the first time being in a full time job the most important skills have been learning to work with people, being a team player and learning from the ones that have more experience.

4What has been your biggest challenge?

Professionally, having to be more diplomatic. When you are in such a serious and politicized environment, you really need to be attentive to what you say.Personally, being alone in another country is challenging, you learn a lot about yourself and appreciate all of the things that most of the time you took for granted. Being away from my country has made me realize all of the good and bad things about it, and that it is important that we work towards trying to make them better.

5What are your plans for the future?For now, I think that I’ll be in DC for

another year. I am looking forward to getting involved in new projects in the organization, and getting more responsibilities. Later on I want to pursue a Masters and in the longer term, go back to Mexico and work somewhere where I can make a change in policies regard-ing education and youth.

6What is your fondest memory of the Kennedy?I will never forget the JFK, this

is where I met a lot of my friends and I will always keep my memories in a very special place in my heart. Other than my friends, it is impossible not to remember some teachers who really made a difference in my life. I remember a talk with Miss Ana Julia after I won Best Delegate at the Model UN and she told me that even the longest paths begin with one small step. She told me to be patient and to take pride in every achievement no matter how little it was, because it will always get me closer to wherever I wanted to go. I saved a little plaque she gave me and kept her words in my mind to this day.

What do these words mean to you?

Love What moves you to achieve

incredible things. Family What holds

you together and gives you strength.

Success Achieving what you have

been fighting for.Commitment

Following through with what you believe

in and what you do. Querétaro/México Two of my biggest loves

that define me as a person and inspire

me to do more.

28

7 What has been your biggest accomplishment since you left the school?

I have had some accomplish-ments since I left the JFK. Getting my first real job at the newspaper (a.m. Querétaro) and writing there for four years was a very big achievement for me, and I am still writing from DC on special occasions. Graduating from my career with honorable mention was also a very big accomplishment; I had good grades in middle school and high school but I was always strug-gling with math and physics. Once I was focusing on what I’m really passionate about it was easier to do better and improve my grades in university. Getting the internship was something I was very proud of because people apply form all over the world and only a few get it. After the internship, it was great to be offered a job just after graduating. From my group of 90 interns only 5 of us received job offers. I am thankful to be given the opportunity to work with great people and experts in the field from all over the world.

8What do you want to share with Kennedy students and alumni?

I would tell them to get involved in everything that the JFK offers. Sometimes when you are involved in things like IB, the student council and other activities you think it is just a waste of time, but everything that you do gives you some experience and perspective that later on will be useful. I remember the workload I had in 12th grade while I was doing the IB Diploma; after that, University seemed very manageable and my time management skills were great. Everything that you do will help prepare you for the future.

9What do you like to do when you are not working?

I love being around my friends. Traveling is one of my biggest passions and while I am in another coun-try I love to explore the city and take every opportu-nity I have to meet new people, new places and have incredible experiences. fl

I remember

the workload

I had in 12th

grade while I was

doing the IB

Diploma; after

that, University

seemed very

manageable.

30 31

WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW?

Class Notes

SINGER, MUSICIAN Class of ‘98.

Melissa Munster is a singer and songwriter, cre-ator of her own genre, RockPop Chicloso or bub-blegum Rockpop, which takes its name because of the immediate effect generated in the minds of the listeners. “You realize it’s bubblegum when you surprise yourself singing the song you just heard”. Love is the main theme of its composi-tions; romantic ballads and electric guitar rocker riffs and rhythms which will make you dance are also elements of this genre. A young and experi-enced truly Mexican rocker, accompanied live by her musicians.This year marks her 10th anniver-sary in the rock scene and her 3rd as a soloist surprising audiences from the underground with an explosive attractive live show.

WRITER Class of ‘94

Vanessa Aguilera JFK alumni published sev-eral months ago her book “La Evolución de la Luz” (the evolution of light); here she shares how she accomplished the biggest achieve-ment of her career:

This book was born out of a kind of weird restlessness. I had been a holistic therapist and healer for some time and, ever more frequently, a little voice inside me said: Write… I did not really know what I would write about. Until one day I sat in front of the computer and decided to start without having the latest idea of what it was to come out. And the, magic happened! Words started flowing and I could not stop until the book was finished. This has been a great achievement for me because writing a book is like bearing your soul and, much to my surprise; it was an ambivalent process because it involved pleasure as well as pain. Put in the end I really enjoyed it! It was not just the writ-ing stage but what came afterwards, the pro-motion and getting a publisher. It was finally published by Palibrio. You can get it at the momento in amazon.com and in palibrio.com; also at the Bioenergetics Center, in Juriquilla, Queretaro.

1st place

La Voz Universitaria Universidad Autónoma

de Querétaro

1st place

In the Rock con Estrella contest from Cerveza Estrella

1st place

In the Monttana Idol contest from rocker Charlie Monttana

"MELISSA MUNSTER"

PARTICIPANT OF

LA VOZ MÉXICOFollowing an 11 year career as an

independent singer, Melissa Mené-

ndez Vallejo,represented Queréta-

ro’s talent in Televisa’s reality show

"La Voz México". Melissa writes

music, rocks and participates on

Alejandro Sanz’s team. Let’s sup-

port Melissa in the most public

adventure of her career!

Melissa Menéndez

Vallejo Vanessa Aguilera

This book tells a unique story of spiritual and con-sciousness awakening and development in a person just

like us who, through her experiences, has been able to recognize the Evolution of light, present in her life from

childhood and through every stage.

33

REUNIONS & SNAPSHOTS

JFK's Grandmas Reunion We had a beautiful moment at grand-

parents' reading day in Pre-school where

we had the visit of about 10 grandmas

and their grandchildren who have been

part of the JFK community since their

children attended kindergarten here. It

was so nice to see them all so excited

to see each other and hear them telling

other grandparents how much they have

enjoyed the school over the years. It was

a very moving moment!

Class of ’84 had an incredible reunion at Juan Pablo Maza’s house where they had gathered several times before. This occasion came with the opportunity to say hi to Katy Paez who lives in France and visited Queretaro during the sum-mer. Gabriela Badilla, Gabriela Castel-lanos, Ricardo Badilla, Lorena Aguayo, Beatriz Carrera, Manuel Robles, Helmut Huber, José Antonio Urquiza, Juan Pablo Haza, Marco Montero, Ariane Witte, Mauricio Suárez, Angélica Loy, Anya Saucedo, Miguel Romero and Be-goña Llanos, were present at this lunch.

Class Reunion

84’

At the John F. Kennedy School, one of our big-gest prides is our graduates to whom we say good bye every June to start a new adventure away from their home at the Kennedy. But their leaving does not mean they are no longer with us. We have a direct contact with our alumni through several media, including this magazine, but we also want to preserve a part of them. That is why the JFK’s Time Capsules were created.

It is already a tradition that on the day the school offers a good bye lunch to the 12th graders, that same morning there is a ceremony where all of that years graduating class, deposit in an urn, letters, year-books, memories, pictures and whatever they want to preserve. This urn is then hermetically sealed to be opened six years later in a special ceremony where all students from that Class are also invited to share memories, anecdotes and the experiences lived dur-ing those last years.

The first generation to live the JFK’s Time Capsule experience was Class of 2006 and it will be the first to open it and discover its wonderful memories in the ceremony that will take place in 2012.

This is, without doubt, a tradi-tion that holds great meaning for JFK and all our alumni. Remember this will always be your home.

JFK's Time Capsules

Remember

this will

always be

your home.

34 35

Class Reunion

81’

The idea to meet again came from the Alumni Breakfast that took place last year at the JFK. I realized then our 30th anniversary from leaving school was up. I looked for José Guerrero and asked him to help me organize the event and search for our classmates. In the first reunion we had, I had taken with me the first and only yearbook we ever had. From then, we used Facebook and every means available to look for our classmates.

The previous gatherings were a lot of fun because we remembered friends, teachers and stories that some of us had forgotten. Truth be told, we all shared a special love for the school.

During our 30th Anniversary Reunion we met classmates we had not seen since Middle School. François Brenta

First Row standing left to right: Susana

Sánchez, Margarita Reyes, Cecilia Morelos,

Jorge Cevallos, Rafael Landín, Enrique de la

Cuadra, José Guerrero, Luz del Carmen Calzada,

Gerardo Martínez y Mauricio Romero.

Second Row standing

left to right: Guillermo

Calzada, Manuel González,

Juan Pablo Huber y

Salvador Malagón.

Alumni Breakfast at JFK

2nd

For more information:Communication office

Ph +52 (442) 218 0075 ext. 1006, 1010news@jfk.edu.mx

June 16, 2012

Save the dateWe are waiting

for you!

even sent us a video so we could know what he’s been up to.

One thing we all perceived was that we still share the love and trust we had when we were kids, as if time had not passed in these three decades.

36 37