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COVER STORY
JOHN F. KENNEDY · THE AMERICAN SCHOOL OF QUERÉTARO
1
SPRING
2012
VOL. 1 NO. 9 ·
may 2012
VISION
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
THE SOCIAL
NETWORKS
riend
or oe?
FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
Jeffrey Lewis
OPERATIONS AND SERVICES DIRECTOR
SPORTS
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
International
Congress
of Physical
Education
and Sports
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lic. Mónica Duarte Balcárcel
EDITOR 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.
O
Did you
know
that...?
PROOFREADING AND TRANSLATION
Héctor Muñoz · sextosentido
DESIGN
PHOTOGRAPHY
Asbed Levi · sextosentido
COVER PHOTO
ALUMNI CONTACT
Mónica Duarte
mduarte@jfk .edu.mx
ADVERTISING SALES
2
Karla Rios
Tel. (442) 218 0075 ext. 1010
krios@jfk.edu.mx
cover story
T at JF
a ture St
Fe
Karla Ríos, Víctor Ortega, Asbed Levi, Luza
Arredondo, Verónica Díaz, Schmidt Family,
Vanessa Aguilera, Gabriela Castellanos, Luz
Calzada, José Guerrero
ER ÍA N
I
V
JA ARC URÁI
G ASC
L
Remembering
Cristy With
Love
s
K’
WRITERS
Leonor Cortina
The art
of teaching
Art to
child ren
y
GENERAL DIRECTOR
Debra Cortney MA
Letter fr
om
The Gene
ra
Director l
or
Mirtha Stappung M.Ed., MA
Estud
en Es iar
Unid tados
os
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IB A R
To facilitate the balanced
development of our students;
with commitment and respect
for the local community and
a multicultural world.
Class
Notes
Times
Message from
our General
Director
DEAR READERS
Cristina
Fernández
de César
Art is an important part of our lives and Arts
education is basic to a well-rounded curriculum.
Life at JFK is full of artistic expressions, talents
and creativity. We see murals, theatre productions, band and choir performances, paintings
and sculpture and so much other creativity everywhere that we look. The benefits for students are
sprinkled across the spectrum of school experience; from fine motor skills development to the
nurturing of creativity and improved emotional
balance. You will learn more about that in the
following pages of this latest edition of the JFK
Times.
In another entry into this edition we pay a
posthumous tribute to a special friend to the
school; Assembly member, former President of
the Board of Directors, and mother, Cristina
Fernández de César who passed away in April
of this year. Her support, involvement and
efforts will forever be a part of the history of
this great school.
3
OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS BY OUR FACULTY OR STUDENTS
Estudi
ar
en Esta
d
o
s
Unidos
Cuesta
trabajo
entender que
existe otro
sistema
que te dice:
“experimenta,
prueba, date
tu tiempo
y luego
preocúpate
por escoger;
entonces te
diremos qué
necesitas para
lograr lo que
quieres.”
Un sistema diferente
que te permite explorar
opciones
Por Erika Lastra
Mi labor como asesora educativa en el Kennedy consiste en orientar
a los jóvenes para que elijan las opciones que mejor les permitan
desarrollarse profesionalmente al salir de la preparatoria.
Muchos de nuestros alumnos cumplen los requerimientos para conseguir becas que les permitirán estudiar en Estados Unidos y, en estos
casos, es muy importante que, tanto los alumnos como los padres,
comprendan en qué se diferencia este sistema del que opera
en nuestro país.
En México, cuando un alumno inicia el proceso de admisión a una
universidad, debe forzosamente elegir la carrera que estudiará. Esto
implica que defina entre los 17 o 19 años a qué se quiere dedicar;
una decisión que muy pocos estarán listos para tomar.
4
Esto implica
que defina
entre los 17 o
19 años a qué
se quiere
dedicar; una
decisión que
muy pocos
estarán listos
para tomar.
La carrera es sólo
un punto de partida
Antes de continuar, quisiera señalar
que, con frecuencia, el aspecto que más
dificulta esta decisión, es la concepción
errónea de que el trabajo que desempeñaremos estará forzosamente ligado
a la carrera que hayamos realizado.
Resulta clave entender que la carrera
es simplemente una plataforma
que nos prepara para ingresar al
mercado profesional y que, con gran
certeza, acabaremos trabajando en
algo diferente. Esto no es un error;
es la dinámica natural del desarrollo
profesional que en otros países se
comprende bien desde hace mucho
tiempo. Las empresas no contratan
a las personas por la carrera que
estudiaron, sino porque su perfil es
apropiado y, con mayor frecuencia,
buscan integrar equipos con profesionistas de carreras diversas que puedan
aportar una visión única en la toma
de decisión.
También es importante considerar
que la mejor universidad para nuestros
hijos es aquella que les permitirá
integrarse y desarrollarse mejor de
acuerdo a sus intereses y personalidad… no la “mejor” universidad.
Cómo funcionan
las cosas en México
En México, cuando terminas la preparatoria,
inicias un proceso de admisión a una universidad
en el que declaras qué carrera vas a estudiar. Hay
carreras que son muy afines; si estudias comunicaciones, tal vez compartas los primeros dos años
con mercadotecnia o administración, pero no con
medicina.
Si una vez que ingresas a comunicaciones, y
después de un año decides que no es lo tuyo y
prefieres mercadotecnia, te puedes cambiar y lo
más probable es que no vayas a sufrir una pérdida
de materias. El problema viene cuando tienes que
ir a otra universidad y empezar de cero. O cuando
decides cambiarte a una carrera que no tiene
afinidad alguna con la que habías elegido.
Para un joven entre los 16 y 19 años, que tiene
que elegir la carrera que va a ejercer, es un momento que genera una gran presión. Me pongo
como ejemplo. Yo siempre quise estudiar psicología pero, como era buena en matemáticas, acepté
la propuesta de mis padres de estudiar ingeniería
química. Hoy mi trabajo no tiene siquiera una relación remota con la carrera que estudie, pero me
hace mucho más feliz. La vida tiene una manera
de regresarte a donde debes estar.
Hay opciones que no sabemos que existen
En comparación con lo anterior, la gran nobleza
del sistema en Estados Unidos, es que no tienes
que decidir. Los programas académicos están
5
“You can't connect the dots looking
forward; you can only connect them
looking backwards. So you have to trust
that the dots will somehow connect
in your future. You have to trust in
something - your gut, destiny, life, karma,
whatever. This approach has never let me
down, and it has made all the difference
in my life.”
Steve Jobs' 2005
Stanford Commencement Address
Este sistema,
además de
permitirle
explorar, le brinda
la oportunidad de
combinar dos
intereses, como
ingeniería y
fotografía,
biología y danza,
física y teatro, y
explorar sus
inquietudes sin
neCésariamente
hacer de ellas su
profesión.
6
integrados por bloques de materias organizados por
áreas, como ciencias y humanidades. Durante los
primeros dos años, el alumno debe elegir materias que le permitan cumplir con un determinado
número de créditos de cada área, y está en libertad
de escoger aquellas que más le llamen la atención.
De esta manera puede experimentar y conocerse,
al acercarse a temas que tal vez no guardan relación entre sí, pero que abren la posibilidad de que
descubra intereses o habilidades que nunca hubiera
pensado poseer y que le brindarán oportunidades
de desarrollo.
El alumno tiene dos años para declarar su “major”;
siendo éste lo que en México consideramos la “carrera” y el “minor” como una subespecialidad.
Este sistema, además de permitirle explorar, le
brinda la oportunidad de combinar dos intereses,
como ingeniería y fotografía, biología y danza, física
y teatro, y explorar sus inquietudes sin neCésariamente hacer de ellas su profesión. Al final, todo
suma y se interconecta de formas que nunca hubiéramos imaginado.
Habiendo cursado cuatro años de “college”, el
alumno obtiene un “undergraduate degree” o un
“bachelors degree”, equivalente a la licenciatura, y
luego puede proseguir a “graduate school”, que es
como una especialidad.
Mantener una
mentalidad abierta
Como papás, cuando debamos apoyar a nuestros hijos aen la toma de decisiones en cuanto a su futuro
profesional, tenemos que pensar que hay opciones
que ni nosotros ni ellos saben que existen. Estamos
programados a tomar ciertas decisiones de cierta
manera porque el sistema en México así lo exige.
Cuesta trabajo entender que existe otro sistema
que te dice “experimenta, prueba, date tu tiempo y
luego preocúpate por escoger; entonces te diremos
qué necesitas para lograr lo que quieres.”
Son sistemas polarmente opuestos que pueden
llevar a nuestros hijos a destinos muy diferentes.
7
Eco
Club
GALLERY
“I believe that if
everyone
thought of
helping others,
our reality
would be
different.”
THE JFK SPIRIT
By Sofia Roa (11th grade) and
Julia Prats (12th Grade)
All who know Clara Montes understand
that she loves helping others and has a
special interest in protecting the environment. Clara, at age 18, has done more for the
environment than most of us have. In this
past year alone, she has helped organize and
restructure the school’s ecology club and
has traveled to Ecuador on a social service
project. There is nothing that can stop her.
What makes Clara stand out is that she does
not work out of obligation, but out of joy.
“My motivation is every single smile I
receive in exchange for an action.” Clara’s
initial interest in helping the environment
came from her childhood. She would often
accompany her father, who is a veterinarian
on a farm, to a small village where she was
in contact with animals and nature at an
early age. It was there that she decided she
loved nature and wanted to help heal animals and preserve their habitat. Her interest
in ecology and social service has continued
to grow ever since.
Clara has been in the Eco Club with Miss
Luza for four years, and she is the current
8
president of the club. Clara says that she has
learned everything that she knows about
the environment from the Eco Club. Clara
is also active in promoting “green” habits
in other parts of the community. When in
public places, she always checks to see that
the centers are separating their solid waste
properly. She also started a project to replicate the Eco Club in a public kindergarten.
But her service isn’t just limited to environmental causes. Clara is also involved in “Un
techo para mi país”, an organization that
helps build houses for the less fortunate.
She is currently volunteering in the resource
area, but would also like to help with construction of the houses in the future. And
if that’s not enough, she spends her Saturdays in the Gomez Morin Library giving a
science workshop for children along with
classmates Valentina Acevedo and Hector
Lira.
Clara’s future is looking ‘green’ as well. She
plans on remaining involved in the school’s
Eco Club after graduating to support their
sustained efforts to raise awareness of
Clara has
been in the
Eco Club with
Miss Luza for
four years,
and she is the
current
president of
the club.
Clara is also
involved in
“Un techo
para mi país”,
an organization that helps
build houses
for the less
fortunate.
environmental issues within the school and
community. She is also considering studying ecology as a major, and has applied to
the University of Rochester in New York to
study environmental sustainability, health,
and safety. Clara is clearly motivated to
continue her work with the environment,
but her passion and love for social service
also has her interested in working in the
health sector, specifically providing quality,
inexpensive health services to small lowincome communities. “I love to see happy
people around me and if I have the opportunity to make them happy, I can't see why I
shouldn't help.”
Whatever she decides, it is clear that
Clara’s future will be bright and that she
will also help to brighten the future of others with her dedication and spirit of service.
“I believe that if everyone thought of helping others, our reality would be different.”
Young people like her will make the world a
better place for future generations.
Now, if you want to make a difference,
contact the Eco Club and volunteer!
9
How we use
social networks
THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY
TH E SOCIAL
NET WORKS
Facebook
alumni page
STATS
26,034
Number of visits
since its creation
November 9, 2011
¿ riend
or oe?
By Cristina Valenzuela
and Marco Sánchez
Social networks have turned out
to be an important factor in practically everyone’s lives, but they have
become an essential tool for younger
generations. Initially seen by many
adults as a waste of time and a threat
to privacy, people from all ages now
use this medium with very valuable
purposes such as acquiring information, increasing self expression or
strengthening bonds among family
and friends.
Such is the case of our Facebook
alumni page (www.facebook.com
/exalumnos.kennedy), which has
10
been joined by more than 1,400
friends in a few months. It has
become an excellent medium to
stay in touch and follow the lives
of the many generations which
have passed through the Kennedy’s
classrooms. It’s hard to imagine a
more perfect way to share accomplishments, find lost long love and
friends, spread the word of reunions
and events and, overall, share the
Kennedy spirit through a tightly knit
alumni community, spread all over
the world, that has become stronger
than ever.
2.35
Average number
of pages visited
34.89%
Exponential growth
of new visits
1,400
Daily visits
3.51
minutes
Average time spent
in the page
Mexico
United States
Canada
Belgium
United Kingdom
Colombia
Germany
Japan
Countries that
visit our page
Ordered in number of visits
Students use social media not only to socialize, but also
to broadcast ideas, events and information they consider
valuable and worth sharing. We also find them very useful
to generate study groups that help us with our homework,
school activities, and sharing news. We understand, however, our parents' and teacher’s concerns about the dangers
we can be exposed to if we do not use them properly. That
is why we asked some of our classmates their opinion about
social media.
Gerardo Gutiérrez (9th grade)
April 15, 2012
Social networks greatly favor self expression; thanks to
them, people all over the world are able to expose their
ideologies through the web. They can also be a vehicle for
art, because they offer many ways of capturing what a
person thinks or imagines, and share it with the virtual
community, which then can voice an opinion and enrich the
authors view.
Like ∙Comment ∙Share
Arianne Milán (12th grade)
April 21, 2012
Social networks favor self expression because they have
created a virtual world where you find yourself connected at
all times. You can maintain a conversation with people you
have not seen in a long while. You can also share pictures
and videos with a lot of people very easily. Social media
allow better communication among students, strengthen
friendships and closeness among alumni and the school,
and help us with our homework; many students deliver
assignments and tests through the web.
Like ∙Comment ∙Share
40% of 12 to 18 year
students were incapable
of reading more than 3
pages at a time when
researching a subject
and that their
answers were poor
and incomplete.
The down side
After talking with our classmates, we concluded
most of them consider it a valuable means of
communicating and maintaining contact with
friends and work groups. But we also found
many of them acknowledge it can also be a
powerful source of distraction because they find
themselves drawn to several tasks simultaneously, which lowers their concentration and
reduces the effectiveness they accomplish when
completing one task at a time.
Research says…
The study conducted by University College
in London revealed that 40% of 12 to 18 year
students were incapable of reading more than
3 pages at a time when researching a subject
and that their answers were poor and incomplete. They concluded the time spent in social
networks has diminished their ability to read
and understand long texts. It seems the “twitter
generation” or what is being called “digital natives”, while getting used to employ shortened
and cryptic language, are losing the patience
and focus required to “read” as opposed to
“scan” the written word.
Nicholas Carr, an American writer who has
published books on technology and culture
furthers this view by saying: “Recent psychological and neurological studies indicate the
hyperlinked multimedia that flows abundantly
through our computer screens actually gets in
the way of deep thinking. It obstructs understanding, impedes the formation of memories
and makes learning more difficult.”
We recommend…
Now that we have seen both sides of the story,
we can conclude that, since social networks are
a valuable and powerful medium of communication that is here to stay, it’s very important
that we become aware of the way we use it so
that, taking in account our priorities and needs,
we can create a balance.
Have you asked yourself, who controls your
time?
11
A FOCUS ON OUR STAFF
The art
of teaching
Art to
child ren
By Erika Melgoza
Dear JFK community: for those who do not
know me I am Miss Erika Melgoza and I work in
the preschool section teaching art. I work with
225 children from ages two to five years old, and
let me tell you why teaching “Art” is an art…
n by
Young children lear experience.
n
re-creating their ow
Art helps children to understand their world,
enabling them to express their personal experiences and fantasies in wonderful ways, even
when they are unable to talk.
In art class in preschool, they are free to make
choices, to do things their own way, to develop
their preferences and they are free to create their
own concept and ideas through art.
I see art as a non
experience so I en verbal
courage the
children to devel
op their ideas
about it in ways
other
than with words
.
Children begin to feel confident about themselves, they learn to respect their own work and
the work of others and they begin to be open to
all kinds of learning as well.
Art in short, is extremely important to the
children´s development and helps them become
more imaginative and responsive. Art is
indeed a major language of childhood.
I try to create a working environment,
an accepting atmosphere in which the
children can feel happy, relaxed and
emotionally secure. I want their art
experience to be exploratory, creative
and fun.
My program covers six basic art areas:
collage, painting, clay, drawing, printmaking, and construction. I start with an
open-ended exploration of the materials
and I believe that this exploration in the
beginning is much more important than
seeking any specific results.
I encourage and respect each child´s
way of working and let each one work at
his or her own pace, so children can find
success in whatever they do.
In art class children learn about some
painters’ biography that I tell them as a
tale, they get really excited and after they
get to know some facts of their lives they
try to create some paintings, sculptures
or a work of their own.
I remember once we talked about the
Renaissance, specifically about Miguel
Angel Buonarotti, they learned some
facts about his life and they even painted
under the tables recreating the way
Miguel Angel painted the “Sixtine Chapel,” they had a lot of fun and I am sure
that they will not forget how the Sixtine
Chapel was painted.
I see art as a nonverbal experience so I
encourage the children to develop their
ideas about it in ways other than with
words. I really enjoy my job because I
get to know children in a different way;
they feel free, happy and comfortable in
art class because they know that nothing
is “ever wrong”.
Along the years I have learned so many
things from the children, I trust them
completely, they are honest about their
responses and they care about what they
do. It is difficult to make any judgments
about one´s effect on children. You get
the kids who say, “I´m going to be an
Artist when I grow up.” Although…
They even
painted under
the tables
recreating the
way Miguel
Angel painted
the "Sixtine
Chapelª
Children who say they are going to be
art teachers when they grow up particularly touch me. Few of the children I
teach will eventually become artists or
even art teachers, but I believe they all
deserve a warm and encouraging space
to access to this splendid visual language we call “Art.”
Feel free to come by someday to my
art room and you will see why children
enjoy “Art” class.
13
SPORTS
PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR OUR MODEL OF EDUCATION
Our school has always strived to take a
leadership role in sports. It was with this
goal that Professor Arturo Bustamante,
Director of P.E. at our school, set to
organize the First International Congress
of Physical Education and Sports.
The event, centered on the objective of
promoting knowledge and development
in sports, was a huge success. From
January 19 to the 22th, 150 teachers from
Querétaro’s most renowned schools,
such as Alamos, Cumbres, Celta and
Tecnológico de Monterrey; from all over
México, and from different countries,
gathered to learn and share knowledge
and experience in this field.
Carlos Velázquez, a world recognized
teacher from Spain, was one of the main
speakers, as well as Alejandro Orvelli, a
renowned professor from Argentina and
Humberto Ginestá, from Cuba, who gave
a conference on how to teach an integral
P.E class.
Collaboration among all sport activities,
meaning that all should work together
towards a common goal, was one of the
main themes of the event. “That who
does it faster does not win, but the one to
include everyone in the game”, assured
Arturo Bustamante, adding that it’s key
to never lose sight of fundamental values
such as respect, solidarity, empathy,
justice and effort.
14
International
Congress
of Physical
Education
and Sports
By Luis Peña 10th
Andrea Mier 11th
Luis A. Piña 11th
Marcela Valadez 12th
We can consider
the event a
huge success;
it certainly
exceeded our
expectations
That who does
it faster does
not win, but the
one to include
everyone in the
game
A shared
success
Starting
young
One of the main reasons for the
great accomplishments achieved
by this Congress was that every
one of our physical education
teachers organized as well as
collaborated in the event. “We
can consider the event a huge
success; it certainly exceeded our
expectations”, the Sport Coordination assured, already anticipating
that the International Congress
of Physical Education and Sports
will become a banner for the Kennedy’s leadership in this area in
the years to come. We congratulate
everyone involved and hope to see
many more initiatives that promote
sports in schools in our country
and around the world.
Motor ability is the base of physical education and it is necessary to
promote it in students since early
childhood. For example, crawling
stimulates coordination, security
and control in movement and even
confidence in the little ones.
Many of the exercises promoted
during the event involved ropes,
balls, fences, rings and other
objects that help students improve
team work and coordination skills.
And it was noted that observing
the physical capabilities of each
student, such as endurance, speed
and strength is one of the keys to
measure their progress and to give
additional support to those with a
possible disability.
15
WHAT ARE WE UP TO?
Did you
know
that...?
Some facts of our school’s history
are well known to everybody,
such as its foundation by a
group of American and Mexican
businessman in 1964. We now
want to revisit our beginnings in
order to bring back the spirit of
collaboration that made the John
F. Kennedy School of Querétaro
what it is today.
Manuel González de Cosio was
Queretaro’s governor when companies such as Gerber, Transmisiones y Equipos Mexicanos and
Clemente Jacques settled in our
city and started the industrial
growth that gradually attracted
companies from all over the
world and made having a school
of international standards necessary.
An so, our school initiated
activities in a house in a street
named Ignacio M. de las Casas,
in Colonia Cimatario, offering
16
Kindergarden and 3 years of elementary School to 60 students.
When the first generation graduated from Elementary School,
the school moved to Ex Hacienda
La Laborcilla where Junior High
and High School were added. A
bus fleet carried students and
teachers to and from neighboring
haciendas and cities such as San
José de Iturbide, San Luis de la
Paz, San Miguel de Allende and
San Juan del Río.
In 1961 Juan José Torres Landa
donated 5 hectares in Jurica
where construction of our new
school immediatly started.
This was the first generation to
graduate from Junior High:
Guillermo Uribe, Lucero
Calzada, Diana Pacheco, Eva
Hernández, Estela Ortega, Liz Pedraza, Rubí Pedraza, Fidel García
Dobarganes and Felipe García
Dobarganes.
17
I
m State
Actual Auditoiu
Our present
It won’t be long before our 50th generation graduates from what is now one of the finest educational institutions in the region. And we trust that
students and families that now enjoy the passion
and commitment on which this school was built,
are able to acknowledge and pass on this torch for
generations to come.
Annual
Campaign
New Entrance
18
New Floor
The many efforts our whole community
makes every year to continue building
on this legacy is the clearest way to
ensure the continuance of our spirit.
The chosen goal for the 2011-2012 campaign, getting our auditorium ready
for the future, is a very visible and
emblematical icon of this spirit. Thanks
to the generosity and work of students,
teachers, families and volunteers we
are close to reaching our goal. We
count on you to help us reach it!
O
Remembering
Cristy With Love
n this issue of our JFK Times
we pay a special posthumous
tribute to Mrs. Cristina Fernández
de César; “Cristy” as we all called
her with great affection.
Cristy came to JFK some 20 years
ago after she, her husband Oscar,
and the rest of her family moved
into their beautiful home across
the street from our campus. They
then enrolled their first child in
Preschool. From that day on she
became an active and involved
volunteer and a great supporter of
our school. She gave so much to
our community in so many different ways.
She was a special person. She believed in actively seeking out help
from others, and always contacting the right person when it was
needed. The years passed and her
other children grew and joined the
school. Over time Cristy began to
build all kinds of connections and
friendships among parents, teachers, children and administrators in
our school community. She had a
unique way of networking, building
and maintaining relationships.
When the César Fernández family
first joined the community, our
school was a lot smaller and with
very limited resources. She chose
to get involved in the Elementary
School Parents Association to help
accomplish several goals.
One of these goals was the
improvement of the Elementary
School playground. It was more of
a dream at that time because of the
amount of work, needed resources
and effort that this project required.
I was the Principal of the Elementary School in those days and I vividly remember the day she walked
into my office and asked me: “Miss
Mirtha, What would you like to see
in this patio?”
I was delighted with the question
and began to describe new spaces
with play structures, a covered
space with tables and chairs, trees,
green grass and flowers everywhere. (At that time we had only
dirt and a couple of eucalyptus
trees in the area). In a couple of
months, looking out my office
window, I saw a beautiful green
lawn appear, which she managed to
bring all the way from Cuernavaca.
She helped to arrange for flowers
and trees that were donated by
parents and also to construct a
nice gazebo where children could
have lunch or present plays and be
involved in other group activities.
We are gifted with lasting
memories because of her influence and positive energy in many
other things like the Tricycle Park
and other school projects. She was
a well-respected Assembly member, the President of the Board of
Directors for two years, a dedicated
mother, and a true friend to many
of us.
We have a lot to learn, remember
and admire about her. During her
long illness she showed us how to
maintain hope and courage in difficult times. Even in her last months
she continued to fight cancer with
her head up high, being positive
and full of life, ready to go on. It
must have been painful and exhausting, but she never showed it.
Thank you Cristy for all of the life
lessons that you taught us. Many
students, teachers, administrators
and parents will forever carry with
them wonderful memories of your
friendship. It was a great personal
gift and honor for me to having
known you. Our love, best wishes
and gratitude go to you and your
family. You will forever be a part of
the history of this great school.
Rest in peace knowing that your
work here is done and the many
seeds that you planted will continue to grow throughout the years
to come.
Mirtha Stappung
General Director
19
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By Laura Cobo
20
Art is a spiritual
endeavor that
enriches our
students and our
community
have always seen art as
a “work out” that allows
you to become a better
person. It leads you to explore,
analyze and reach your own
conclusions. It strengthens
critical thought and drives you
to know yourself better. It enhances your human quality and
your vision of the world. It’s a
conversation with yourself that
brings structure and discipline;
it is a training field for life.
I
Art formation at the Kennedy follows a sequence from
Pre School to High School
designed to prepare students
since early childhood to
acquire the ability to express
themselves as well as a panoramic artistic view. When
they reach 9th grade they can
explore their abilities by choosing among several workshops:
Visual Arts, Drawing and Painting, Photography, Sculpture
It is wonderful to discover
that we can capture our
ideas, our thoughts, our
dreams; that shapes,
colors, textures and
volumes become tools
of expression of this
magical and intimate
language which allows us
to see through a canvas,
a picture, a melody or a
sculpture, who we are.
Laura Cobos
HS ART COORDINATOR
COORDINATO
A
ATO
R
and Music, and in 11th grade
they are given the option of
enrolling in IB Art.
The IB Art Program is
designed to promote critical,
reflexive and well founded
practices, help students understand the dynamic and ever
changing nature of the arts,
explore their diversity through
time, space and cultures, and
express themselves with confidence and competence.
21
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his lab
I would encourage any student
to go into IB Art. It really doesn’t
matter if you want to become a
doctor, a lawyer or an engineer;
unless you are planning to go
into an artistic profession, this
might be your last chance to
become acquainted with art.
Projects I made years ago
still give me a significant
advantage over my college
classmates. I showed one
of them, a mechanical hand
capable of articulating its
fingers, to one of my professors
and he was so captivated, he
immediately offered me a place
in his lab where, since that
moment, I have made research
on biomechanical models
and prosthetic thumbs. If this
argument is not reason enough
to join IB Art, think about this:
which other course lets you
listen to music, relax, have fun
and learn more about yourself
while you do what you want?
Sebastián
Morales
CLASS 09'
22
22
We drive
students to
find their own
language
IB Art demands students to
research and compare in
order to justify their work,
generating a critical and
reflexive attitude
n IB Art, we teach students
a variety of techniques and
encourage them to experiment
practicing great respect to what
they want to express. Our goal is
to help them project themselves
through their work; to acquire a
personal plastic language.
Our teachers are not only
proficient in their discipline, they
are also wonderful human beings
who share the commitment
of transmitting students their
passion for art and great respect
I
for their own ideas and style.
IB Art is an excellent
educational tool because it
demands students to research
and compare in order to justify
their work, generating a critical
and reflexive attitude where
form and substance are equally
important. We encourage them
to engage transcendent topics
and to encounter reality.
iwf hyaotu don‘t like
ycoon
usdidide,
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atitonagofrpaopilourrteu, nbiutrty
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IB Art is a high level program
that requires a lot of time;
therefore, I recommend any
student interested in getting
involved with this program,
to be patient, and to choose
a theme they feel passionate
about, since they will be working
on it for two years. I’d also say:
‘If you don‘t like what you did,
don‘t consider it a failure, but an
opportunity to grow artistically.
Learn from everything you do,
but most importantly, never give
up, you´ll see that at the end, it
will be worth it.’
Since I took IB Art, I feel that
I‘m more aware of the artistic
environment that surrounds me.
I‘ve learned about several artists
I hadn’t heard of before, such
as Claes Oldenburg or Robert
Rauschenberg, and now I know
how to value their art, to know
its real worth, and don‘t judge
it only for how beautiful it is.
The most important thing the IB
left me was to think my artwork
through, and to value every
single art piece I did, because
even though I didn‘t like all
of them, each one made me
improve and become a better
artist.
IB Art is an excellent
opportunity for students to
develop themselves as artists.
It may be a lot of work, but it’s
worth the effort.
Dany
Hurtado
CLASS 11'
Practice
and
knowledge
go hand
in hand
24
hotography, led by Professor Victor
ictor
Ortega,
rtega, is one of the most popular
disciplines; a workshop where students acquire knowledge and practice on analogous
and digital photography, exploring not only
its artistic possibilities, but also its practical
use in the journalistic and advertising world.
The Musical
usical Program, led by Professor
Fausto Cerda,
erda, is gaining importance as well.
Students
tudents are not only performing their
music in numerous events, such as the
school play, but have also begun
composing.
P
25
co ve r sto ry
JAVIER
GARCÍA
LASCURÁIN
By Mónica Duarte • Editor in
Chief
ed
as
B
o:
ot
Ph
This number of JFK Times had as a central
theme: Art and its importance in the
integral model of education offered by our
school. In this interview, Javier Garcı́a
Lascuraı́n shares with us his trajectory as
a pianist and a JFK alumnus, where he is
living a stage of decisive importance
for his professional future.
on
no
Ar
ld
an
m
ew
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it
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vi
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26
27
ENTERING THE
KENNEDY WAS A
TURNING POINT IN
MY LIFE.
J
avier, can
you tell
us a little
about how
you became an
accomplished
pianist?
I started playing
when I was seven
years old. We lived
in Mexico, my sister
Andrea was due to
be born and Sala
Chopin offered a
summer course
that, my parents
felt, would keep me
28
conveniently busy.
I played on an off
until we moved
to Querétaro and
I enrolled in the
Kennedy. A couple
of years later, I had
the fortune of meeting Martha García
Renard, a world
renowned concert
player. She was
teaching the most
amazing music
class I ever heard
here, in our own
backyard. Martha’s
son had become my
best friend when I
entered the Ken-
nedy (he’s still like
my brother) but
little did I know
his mother would
become such an
important figure in
my life. She was my
teacher for seven
years.
In 2002 we split
our teacher-student
partnership. I had
not decided yet
to dedicate myself to the piano.
My parents never
forced me to play;
they wanted me to
commit when I was
ready to do so and I
I ENJOYED
BEING A
CHILD AND A
TEENAGER;
I HAD FUN
AND GRATE
EXPERIENCES
THAT SHOW
THEMSELVES
WHEN I PLAY.
will always be grateful for that. Over
the time I have met
pianist with great
technical skills
who did not have a
normal childhood
and an awful coldness reflects in their
playing. I enjoyed
being a child and a
teenager; I had fun
and grate experiences that show
themselves when I
play.
When I finished
high school I
started studying
Industrial Engineering at the TEC. I
kept taking classes
with Mauricio
Nader, a wonderful
concert player. At
that period of time
I PLAYED THE
PIANO ABOUT
EIGHT HOURS
EVERY DAY
AND DID MY
HOMEWORK
AFTERWARDS.
CHOOSING A
CAREER THAT
WOULD ALLOW
ME TO DO THIS
WAS CRUCIAL…
I had very interesting concerts, such
as playing with the
Querétaro’s Philarmonic, chamber
music and recitals.
When I graduated,
I traveled to Quebec to get a music
degree with Arturo
Nieto. I returned
three years ago
and am dedicated
to teaching, giving
concerts and also
carrying on industrial engineering
projects.
D
o you feel
that being
taught, first
by women
and then by
men, had any
importance in
your training?
They were all great
teachers, regardless of them being
women or men; the
difference was that
male teachers were
able to show me a
more virile way of
executing a piece.
With Martha, we
never tackled the
romantic repertoire; Chopin and
Rajmaninov were
out of the question. With Mauricio
Nader I got to know
the other side of the
story; Tchaikovsky
and the strong
repertoire. Martha
gave me the elegant
side of execution;
while Mauricio and
Arturo showed me
the wild part.
I also want to
talk to you about
a Cuban pianist
that has become
my idol: Jorge Luis
Prats. I have not
had the opportunity
of studying fully
with him; but every
time we meet he
gives me a three
or four hour long
private lesson. He’s
considered to be
one of the best pianists in the world
and he is a beast. I
can’t describe him
in any other way.
He is enormous,
both physically and
piano wise
speaking. The
way he plays, I
wish would play.
Javier playing at the
Museo Regional
hours every day and
WHEN I
my homework
GRADUATED, I did
afterwards. ChoosTRAVELED TO ing a career that
allow me to
QUEBEC TO would
do this was crucial…
GET A MUSIC studying medicine,
would
DEGREE WITH forhaveexample,
ARTURO NIETO. sible.been imposI RETURNED Along the way I
discovered
THREE YEARS also
many things
AGO AND AM how
my two careers
DEDICATED had in common.
even wrote an
TO TEACHING, Iarticle
about it; its
GIVING
main idea was that
helps
CONCERTS AND engineering
you find ways to get
ALSO CARRYING the best results with
ON INDUSTRIAL the least amount
waste, in every
ENGINEERING ofsense.
At the end
PROJECTS. of the day,
playing
H
ow were
you able
to get two
degrees?
The most important thing was to
establish a priority, and music will
always take the
upper hand; if nothing else, because of
the time demanded
by the instrument.
I played the piano
about eight
an instrument is
all about physics,
and every concert
has everything to
do with logistics
and the managerial
skills of an industrial engineer.
And when you
turn your head,
you are play-ing at a level
where there’s
no turning
back; you are
hungry for
ENGINEERING
HELPS YOU
FIND WAYS TO
GET THE BEST
RESULTS WITH
THE LEAST
AMOUNT OF
WASTE, IN
EVERY SENSE.
AT THE END
OF THE DAY,
PLAYING AN
INSTRUMENT
IS ALL ABOUT
PHYSICS,
AND EVERY
CONCERT HAS
EVERYTHING
TO DO WITH
LOGISTICS
AND THE
MANAGERIAL
SKILLS OF AN
INDUSTRIAL
ENGINEER.
Javier's first recital
MUSIC
FULFILLS ME IN
WAYS I CAN’T
DESCRIBE,
BUT I HAVE
ALSO ALLOWED
MYSELF TO
ENJOY MANY
OTHER THINGS,
LIKE STUDYING
ENGINEERING,
FOR EXAMPLE.
I’M ALSO
PASSIONATE
ABOUT FLYING;
I’M ABOUT TO
GET MY PILOT'S
LICENSE.
more and more and
more. You start setting goals and there
is no end to it…
it’s a never ending
journey.
W
hich is
your
favorite
music piece?
We are listening
now to a piece
that has given me
many satisfactions
over the years:
Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata; but
the Sonata Apassionata, also from
Beethoven, has
been my favorite
30
since I was a kid. I
waited many years
so that I would be
ready to play it
right.
W
hat has
music
meant in
your life?
Music fulfills me
in ways I can’t
describe, but I have
also allowed myself
to enjoy many other
things, like studying engineering, for
example. I’m also
passionate about
flying; I’m about
to get my pilot's
license.
There are many
clichés on being a
pianist and I have
tried to be true to
myself to avoid
them. I can just as
well listen to electronic music, DJ
Tiesto, the philharmonic or U2.
Another stigma pianist face is people
telling you “you’re
going to starve as
a musician”. But
there are always
plenty of options
that don’t fall in the
extremes of going
commercial or expecting always the
big concerts. I never
say “I will only get
on the stage with
a grand piano, and
the best program
I HAVE PLANS
OF OPENING
AN ACADEMY,
BUT I AM ALSO
WORKING ON
A PROJECT
TO TAKE
CLASSICAL
MUSIC
TO RURAL
COMMUNITIES.
FOR THIS I
DESIGNED A
SPECIAL PIANO.
in Bellas Artes”.
Wherever there is
a stage ready and
people to listen, I
will be there.
I have plans of
opening an academy, but I am also
working on a project
to take classical music to rural communities. For this I designed a special piano that will allow me
to give didactic concerts in the Sierra.
H
ow has the
Kennedy
formation
helped you
achieve your
goals?
Entering the Kennedy was a turning
point in my life.
I can mention a
few angles, in no
ov
Javier playing Rachmamin
particular order.
To all of my class
mates, speaking
English was very
important. There
was no other school
in the Bajio that
offered such a high
requirement level,
and I doubt there is
today. Our teachers,
both foreign and
local, taught us to
think in English. No
class mate of mine
has ever had any
problem succeeding in any part of
the world.
Another great
thing about the
Kennedy was the
WHAT DO THESE WORDS
MEAN TO YOU?
FRIENDSHIP
When a problem
arises, there is
nothing that a
friendship can’t
solve.
DISCIPLINE
There is nothing as
powerful as discipline to drive you
towards the most
ambitious objectives; with it there
are no limits.
SUCCESS
I believe success is
to be at peace with
yourself.
QUERÉTARO
The most pretty
word of all.
MÉXICO
The place where, no
matter how far I go,
I can never be apart
from. Like Mexico,
with all its pros
and cons, there is
nothing else. This
is your land, your
people, your climate. Get prepared
elsewhere but come
back to share what
you learned.
give them tons
STUDENTS... I COULD Iofcould
advice, but the most
recommenGIVE THEM TONS important
dation is that they take
OF ADVICE, BUT THE advantage of every
MOST IMPORTANT single minute, second
and thing that the school
RECOMMENDAthem, because they
TION IS THAT THEY gives
will profit from it all their
TAKE ADVANTAGE lives. I don’t think there’s
ex Kennedy that
OF EVERY SINGLE ahassingle
faced a challenge
MINUTE, SECOND that he or she could not
and I haven’t met
AND THING THAT THE solve;
anyone who does not
SCHOOL GIVES THEM, remember the school
BECAUSE THEY WILL with great fondness and
We will alPROFIT FROM IT ALL satisfaction.
ways have great things to
THEIR LIVES.
say about our school.
friendships we made. To
this day I’m still in touch
with most of my classmates. We are a tight
group. We get together
every year; twenty five
alumni, plus our parents
and now, wives and
children.
The Kennedy being in
Jurica, a country type
development away from
traffic and noise, also
made it very special.
The area has certainly
changed but I hope it
can keep its character.
I’m glad to see how our
school has evolved in
the technological and
architectonical aspects,
but it will always be the
Kennedy.
I
s there anything
you would like to
say to Kennedy
students?
H
ow do you see
your future?
I have tried to prepare myself to the best of
my abilities and now my
goal is to keep playing
piano at a concert level…
to fulfill the expectations of any orchestra,
chamber and audience
that calls on me. I might
not have in my resume
concerts all around the
world; I want this to happen, but it will when it
has to.
I am happy making music; I love having evolved
from simply reading
the notes and repeating
them, to really making
music, and that is what
I teach my students.
Now they are my focus,
my main passion. I have
students ranging in ages
from eight to eighty.
31
Class
WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW?
Notes
-PH
GRA OTOPHE
R
Ricardo Urroz
Kanan
n his way to becoming a
professional photographer,
Ricardo Urroz has done interesting things, like studying a one
year film direction career at New
York Film Academy or worked on
important events, such as the Miss
Universe Pageant where he was in
charge of logistics. His work has
been published by magazines such
as Life & Style, and Obras (Grupo
Expansión).
After working in Mexico City for
a while with photographers such
as Alfonso Zapata, from Venezuela,
he returned to Querétaro, the place
he rather live in.
Ricardo opened Catrín Studios
with his partner Alonso Andrade.
His goal is to satisfy the needs
of the advertising industry in the
Bajio, as well as to promote local
I
32
fashion and young Catrín talent
in the international stage. He offers services such as workshops,
professional Books and product
shots; but he likes doing weddings
because he finds them challenging.
This is why he chose the name
“Catrín” (which means elegant
and well dressed) for his business: “Phonetically speaking, I like
it very much. It’s very Mexican,
fresh and it conveys elegance and
status”.
Ricardo would like to work for
Vogue Italy in the near future, and
enjoys travel photography because
of the people and places his able to
discover.
Writing for the movies is another
one of his skills; one of his projects,
a movie with Demian Bichir, will
probably see the light of day soon.
33
Pablo
Antón
Díaz
ROCKER
27 años
Pablo studied Economy
at the ITAM and works
at the World Bank as
project coordinator on
the impact of financial
education, but his real
passion is music.
He founded Grupo
Evo, a fusion of metal
and melodic rock, with
the goal of always
expressing the personal experiences of its
members.
It all started at the
ITAM parties in the
Bulldog Café. The first
year the band opened a
concert for the Liquits
and on the second, for
Dildo.
Initially, they recorded
eight covers and then,
their own songs. Its
first big “tocada” was
the half time show in a
Monster Trucks event
in Cuernavaca, where
they played before eight
thousand people.
The band plays regularly in the Roma and
the Condesa stages in
Mexico City and will
probably open a concert
for La Gusana Ciega in
Tultepec.
Toño Ruiz (CodaQbo), a good friend
of Pablo, produced
their first record. The
mastering was done in
New York, a contract
with Iguana Records
was signed and printing started a year ago.
It has been hard to
keep the project alive at
times, but they all enjoy
the struggle and getting
ahead every step of the
way. You can find the
CD at the Mix Up store
in Querétaro.
CONTACTO
www.facebook.com/rockevo
FACEBOOK
@rockevo
Twitter
www.soundcloud.com/rockevo
Soundcloud
www.youtube.com/evorockmx
Youtube
35
Memories frctomionthofe
personal colle
Paul
Rubenstein
36
37